Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

It's not just relief for tsunami survivors, stupid


INDRANI BAGCHI

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ TUESDAY, JANUARY 04, 2005 11:14:17 PM ]

NEW DELHI: When the controversy about the United States’ stingy aid for tsunami victims first hit the media, secretary of state Colin Powell chided everybody. He said it was not an auction house. But, in fact, this is exactly what the exercise threatens to become. (Note: China committed $63 million, carefully trumping the $50 million pledged by its diminutive rival, Taiwan. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6785287/)

As foreign minister Natwar Singh arrives in Jakarta on Thursday to participate in the global donors conference for the tsunami-affected region, he will be joined by Powell and Florida governor and George W Bush’s brother Jeb Bush, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao and UN secretary-general Kofi Annan.

But the conference is more than a power meeting of nations seeking to provide succour to 6 million people. Riding piggyback on relief and rescue missions are national geopolitical ambitions. Suddenly, countries are falling over each other to proclaim their generosity.

It is not just the US which has upped its initial aid pledge. China has acted similarly. With the first commitment of $20 million by the Chinese government came the message that China was still a developing country and this was the most that Beijing could do. But with the setting up of the core group including two of China’s closest neighbours, India and Japan, Wen Jiabao last weekend upped Beijing’s stake by pledging an extra $40 million, jumping to the top ten in the donors lists.

Washington felt it necessary to up the stakes because China’s quest for a large Asian leadership role didn’t go unnoticed — the US contribution is now $350 million and Japan has become the single largest donor with $500 million.

India is unique in its endeavour — unlike other donors, it is a victim too. On the part of the US, a further sub-text in the massive aid mobilization is the possibility that quicker relief and rehabilitation in areas like Aceh could give it a toehold in an area where Islamic fundamentalism has been growing.



http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/980763.cms