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Paul Wolfowitz paying his respects to the victims of the tsunami at the Ulee Lheu Mass Grave upon his arrival in Banda Aceh. Wolfowitz is on a two-day trip to Aceh to see the progress of post-tsunami reconstruction and the peace process. The province was the worst hit by the December 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami.
(Bahasa Indonesia): Presiden Bank Dunia Paul Wolfowitz langsung mengunjungi Pemakaman Massal Ulee Lheu setibanya di Banda Aceh untuk memberikan penghormatan kepada korban tsunami. Wolfowitz sedang dalam kunjungan dua hari untuk melihat perkembangan rekonstruksi pasca-tsunami dan proses perdamaian di Aceh. |
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Pchandran@Worldbank.org Washington, April 5, 2006 – Immediately on arrival in Aceh, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz went to Ulee Lheu to lay a wreath at the mass burial site of tsunami victims. Given below is the text of his statement -
(Bahasa Indonesian) "Saya sangat gembira dapat datang kembali ke Indonesia dan saya sangat senang dapat mengunjungi Aceh. Saya mengunjungi Aceh 14 bulan yang lalu, satu bulan setelah bencana itu. Saat itu seluruh masyarakat tentu saja dalam keadaan shock dan saya sendiri tidak bisa mengungkapkan dengan kata-kata perasaan saya melihat kehancuran yang sangat besar ditempat yang sebelumnya begitu indah.
(Translation: It's good to be back in Indonesia, especially to be able to visit Aceh again. I was in Aceh 14 months ago, a month after the tsunami tragedy. At that time people were still in a state of shock, and it was difficult to put in words the level of devastation that I saw in a place that once was so beautiful.) I will go on in English. It's encouraging to see that so much progress has been made since that time. I remember Aceh from twenty years ago. I remember it as a remarkable place with beautiful country(side) and wonderful people and a great Acehnese spirit. I felt last year when we visited that maybe (amidst the destruction) there was a sign of hope. Everywhere you looked where the houses were destroyed, the mosques and churches were still standing. And I think that was a symbol of the strong spirit of the people of Aceh which is helping Aceh to come back from this terrible tragedy. I'm very proud that the World Bank is able to play a role in helping the people of Aceh to rebuild not just their homes but their lives. We're very proud to be partners of the Government of Indonesia, which I think has shown how much they care about the people of Aceh. Even in a terrible tragedy some good things can happen. I'm very pleased that there's been a real peace process in Aceh so that perhaps not only will this beautiful part of Indonesia be rebuilt better than it was before, but that there will be a lasting peace which the people of Aceh so much deserve. So it is a tragedy what happened here and there is a feeling of sadness, particularly in a place like this, but we also hope that a better future will come to these people. They certainly deserve it. Thank you." More on Mr. Wolfowitz's visit to Indonesia |
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