MR CHAN JOINS IN ACEH TSUNAMI REMEMBRANCE

Second Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing represented Singapore at the Aceh Tsunami Commemoration Event, which marked the 10th Anniversary of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, on 26 Dec in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

The Aceh event, which included a prayer session for the tsunami victims and an Expo on the disaster, saw many come together to mourn those killed in the Indonesian province first to be hit by the tsunami.

On the sidelines of the event, Mr Chan acknowledged the resilience of the Indonesians - in recovering from the disaster - and the hard work put in by the Indonesian leaders. He said: "Today, the Aceh people have rebuilt their lives and gone on to greater heights in many ways."

In his speech at the ceremony, Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said: "I want to thank the world community for coming forward to help Aceh rise again after the tsunami." In agreement, Aceh Governor Dr Zaini Abdullah added: "The tsunami not only claimed lives but also disrupted the entire Aceh. But the world community came forward to help us The solidarity shown was so strong and with your support, Aceh has now risen."

Mr Chan, who attended the event with senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), recounted that the 2004 incident was the largest and most complex humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operation that the SAF has conducted till date, He added: "The SAF and TNI were able to carry out their mission quickly and seamlessly because of the long-standing special relationship between the two militaries at all levels. This relationship was built over many years of close cooperation, regular exchanges and bilateral training", he said.

The HADR operation, codenamed Flying Eagle, proved that the SAF was capable of conducting complex operations, managing uncertainty and reacting accordingly on the ground, and sustaining high-tempo operations over a period of more than two months.

Going forward, Mr Chan said: "I can see a lot of areas of potential cooperation between both countries whether economically, militarily, or social wise I am quietly confident that the relationship will continue to progress."

About 1,200 SAF personnel were involved in the disaster relief efforts from 28 Dec 2004 to 25 Feb 2005 in Indonesia. During that time, the Republic of Singapore Navy sent more than 150 pallets and crates of relief supplies and equipment to the affected areas, while the Republic of Singapore Air Force transported about 500 tonnes of supplies and equipment.

Following the disaster relief efforts, the Singapore Government, together with Non-Governmental Organisations and fellow Singaporeans, contributed in various reconstruction projects in Aceh such as the reconstruction of the pier at Meulaboh, a town on the west coast of Aceh, and the refurbishment of the Meulaboh General Hospital.