Tsunani in Aceh Had United Indonesians :VP

Reporting by Ahmad Wijaya Banda Aceh, Aceh (Antara) - The tsunami wave, which struck Aceh province in 2004 and killed 160 thousand people, had strengthened unity among Indonesians, Vice President Jusuf Kalla noted during a 10-year tsunami commemoration event held here on Friday. "When the tsunami hit Aceh, all eyes were on Aceh. The Indonesian people jointly held hands and sent humanitarian aid to Aceh and forgot about their differences," Kalla affirmed. The tsunami disaster also proved to be a learning experience for Indonesia on how to handle post-disaster situations in a better and quicker manner, the vice president noted. Kalla also lauded the international community for sending humanitarian aid to Aceh. "We cannot just grieve after the tsunami, but we take a lesson from it," he emphasized. In the meantime, Aceh province's Governor Zaini stated that the people must increase awareness about possible natural disasters. "We realize that Aceh is one of the areas in Indonesia, which is prone to natural disasters. Ten years ago, we lost many lives due to the tsunami. We are in grief, but we also need to take a lesson from it," Zaini remarked. (*)