Volunteer Elite, Political Volunteer?

That a disaster can be a political opportunity, seems to have been from the beginning it was a lot of concerns presented by the elite themselves. In a series of trips to Aceh, the IT Volunteer Team of the White Water to meet their own reality.

We felt since the beginning of this. Many of sending volunteers boarded by political interests.Likewise motif2 their operations at the disaster site. All of such a race to get credit points with the outrageous behavior egocentrism, embarrassing and even tend to make me sick.

Many people take advantage of this situation for the less sincere, get sympathy and heroism.Something absurd in emergency and critical conditions of this kind. For the real heroes are the victims and survivors, not volunteers or officers and public officials.

Being a volunteer is a humanitarian duty calls, not an attitude for other purposes. The officers and public officials, even the politicians, they have to do this because that's his job. They are paid by the state, the people's money and political obligations of the office should be accountable to the public. Once again, it is not part of the heroic.

So that when they are, positioning itself as an elite who should be the priority and therefore make a more sincere misi2 forced to step aside or even canceled rescheduled to leave, then it is a betrayal of our saudara2 who are suffering. AirPutih experienced team and see this fact very sad.

In halim, piles of assistance as no one noticed or care. Both the terminal and in the area Lanud runaway. Some very busy military aircraft to facilitate officials and party elite and the volunteers who did not clear what business to Aceh. Even become a celebrity event when the electronic media to cover the exposure scenarios and dramatization. Forget journalistic ethics distorted political order.

On the other hand, tens and hundreds of volunteers from all over the country, waiting to appear displaced uncertain departure. Even with in-semena2 cancel, expelled and even scolded by the petugas2 overbearing. What they do not have a conscience again and looked at himself far more noble than the volunteers who provide one's life and his property is? They reach out with sincerity while the officers were just doing tasks that do not Itupun with incompetent!

Any condition in the same area, from Yogyakarta, Malang and other daerah2 in the news that they did not get a definite departure schedule either through commercial or government / military. Whereas the concentration of aid and volunteers stacked dimana2. All needed immediately to Aceh and not a single line of bureaucracy that could provide solutions. Finally they had to leave with a variety of ways, football supporter who just want to "ngelurug", watching the teams play hero.

Indeed the officers and officials that they are much despised, because of the precarious situation of this kind do not apa2 while they had the power that enables them to provide resources and great benefits for all parties for help in Aceh, who was crying blood.

Every second in Aceh must be paid with their lives! And very little bureaucracy in this country who have this kind of intellectual awareness.

It is precisely the foreign fleet (Australia, U.S.) with strict priority transport and volunteer assistance. Without selection and political discrimination even with an international carrier services like first class!

Tim AirPutih felt alone, how a team of Australian military can be very friendly and caring even though constrained language and culture. Much nicer than first class airline service this country.Before and during their journey was to serve, even the toilet affairs in their Hercules aircraft had notice and give notice to each volunteer who ride.

When passing along the west coast of Aceh, they gave the volunteers the opportunity to do field observations from the air. Flying at close range with a low altitude that we know it is very risky and they still do! So they showed real mental qualities as a team working for humanitarian tasks. I and some fellow volunteers and the PMI White Water is there, really feel ashamed that our own nation was not memililiki mental awareness and a kind of brotherhood in humanity's.

In Aceh airport, we experienced a similar situation again. On the one hand, a large number of foreign workers, U.S. Navy helicopters and transport goods alat2 seems to work nonstop without a lot of bi ba bu, even those like robots who already know exactly what should be done effectively and efficiently. Without much talking!

On the other hand, a large number of officers and officials busy we just looked at each other and arguing just to deal with traffic officials, including President SBY. They work hard just to keep you happy. While a large amount of aid to the people, they do not care. Even just a complicated bureaucracy remains to be done and the incredible obstacles.

The author met a lot of teams that have been waiting Volunteer berjam2 and should berhari2 even back and forth to the airport just to get their barang2, including the distribution of much needed obat2an. Heavy transport was very difficult to find. All officers should be responsible for hands-off look.

Some Volunteer Team, it seems to work with own initiative without any coordination. PMI example of a combination of various regions, to work hard caring for refugees dg. conditions of all pathetic and crude. Emergency tents had not they look longer accommodate, while not far from that location, a number of classy tents stand for supporting the visit of officials and the elite group of volunteers. That even to serve the community they have a special escort. It's a paradoxical situation.

Joint Red Cross team at the airport, claims, since they arrived (with the same difficulties), a few days ago, they have not even the primary location of the disaster (Banda Aceh city center).First, they do not have a supporting team on site, no transportation second and third no one coordinating the distribution of volunteers. They work with own initiative and did not know where to go to get medical equipment and obat2an they need. And they pile on the other side of relief goods and of course in which there obat2an, sitting just neglected.

They finally decided to assign myself in the area of the airport because no available adequate medical team there, although many refugees scattered around the airport. Including orang2 displaced who want to get out from Aceh.

Similarly, a large number of new Volunteer Team arrived, seemed perplexed, not knowing what to where and how. Transportation not available and there is no airport or bureaucratic officials who feel responsible to serve them. Once again, they are more concerned about the official visit or just want to serve an elite team of volunteers sponsored by the authorities or bring misi2 poilitis.

The answer is very sad that we received, all the military transport trucks and even entirely used up for the evacuation of bodies around the location where President SBY to visit. Even a large number of corpses was relocated to the invisible tempat2. Jalan2 cleaned with extraordinary effort. Suddenly, all the facilities available, electricity, water, communications and so on. rare commodity in short all such previously impossible can be held in Banda Aceh.

The question is, if they are able to do that, why only now do? Just because the official visit? And why the effort and also the facility and then stopped again when the president had returned to Jakarta? Yet it somehow remains jenazah2 must be immediately evacuated.

In fact, people just need it all after all the officials fled from Aceh.

We saw and heard the story, that the official posko2 in the city center is now controlled by an elite team of volunteers with flashy uniforms and also have exceptional facilities. When people clean water shortages, they are still able to bathe and dress. They can eat in front of people who have been starving for a whole week. Even the governor's post, from Anjar and Valens reports, has turned into infotainment multinational studio with exceptional facilities and complete cosmetic relawan2 working for political purposes, imagery, dramatization, etc. medium capitalization.

In all directions while the disaster site, volunteers, journalists, foreign volunteers also really worked hard with the same condition with tattered victims they serve, and continue to fight resource2 always get priority for kepentingan2 unclear. Resources needed for the people of Aceh.

Last night, I had time to reflect on the post and shed tears, seeing misfortune of Aceh, a very beautiful country with people so strong and resilient but are stuck in disaster management chicanery in an extraordinary state creep. I pray, may the true victims and volunteers to get the power and the way to resolve this humanitarian mission.

I and the team teman2 AirPutih feel a little embarrassed and before the great humanitarian work has been, is and will continue them (volunteers and victims) did. We have not done apa2 and feel unworthy to be here. (Salahuddien)

Source: M. Salahuddien (PatakaID), IT Volunteer Team in Aceh - www.acehmediacenter.or.id