We appeal to the Indonesian government to lift all restrictions on access to Aceh by international humanitarian organisations, aid workers and journalists; to seek as much assistance as is necessary from the international community and allow aid to be delivered directly by international organisations; and to limit the military’s role to humanitarian and reconstruction tasks and permanently halt all other military activities in the province.

Wide parts of Asia are currently in crisis brought by the massive destruction wrought by the earthquake and tsunami which struck on 26 December 2004. The official death toll in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India and Malaysia and six other countries has passed 144,000 as of Monday (3 January) with hundreds still missing and unaccounted for. In the coastal areas near the Indian Ocean that were struck by the tsunami, the damage has been unprecedented and thousands remain homeless, without food and water and at high risk of diseases.

Providing relief and rehabilitation will require massive efforts from governments and civil society. We are grateful for the efforts of the affected Asian governments to take care of their dead, sick and wounded and to prevent more deaths among their people. We welcome the efforts of governments all over the world to pitch in money, people and resources in responding to the tragedy. But still more needs to be done.

In Indonesia which is hardest-hit, relief efforts in the devastated city of Banda Aceh are being affected by the Indonesian government’s perceived reluctance to involve the international community. Aceh has been wracked by fighting since the 1970s between the Indonesian military and the separatist Free Aceh Movement, GAM and the government has severely restricted access to Aceh by international humanitarian organisations since the imposition of martial law in May 2003.

Update reports by international NGOs point out the Indonesian government’s mixed signals about the lifting of restrictions in Aceh even in the face of this disaster. Worse, there are reports that the Indonesian military has not halted military activities against the GAM and its supporters, even while the military has been tasked with leading humanitarian and reconstruction tasks and despite the declaration of ceasefire by the Indonesian armed forces chief.

We appeal to the Indonesian government to lift all restrictions on access to Aceh by international humanitarian organisations, aid workers and journalists; to seek as much assistance as is necessary from the international community and allow aid to be delivered directly by international organisations; and to limit the military’s role to humanitarian and reconstruction tasks and permanently halt all other military activities in the province.

By this same token, we ask the government in Burma to fully assist the families of the nearly 100 Burmese victims, many of whom were in Thailand when the quake struck. We do not even have an accurate picture of the damage inside Burma itself, owing to the uncooperative and secretive stance of the ruling military junta to the international community. We ask the Burmese government for transparency and openness in handing out casualty and damage figures and in opening Burma to international humanitarian groups so that much-needed assistance can also flow to Burmese victims of the disaster.

We also appeal to all governments in the affected areas to ensure that corruption, an acknowledged menace in national and local levels in many Asian countries, will not dissipate the aid efforts. Let us help the victims, not divert aid intended for them.

The victims of this terrible tragedy need international solidarity now. Let us extend to them the hands of fraternal help so that we all – not just the victims – will rise from this disaster better and more caring peoples.

Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC)