I am very sure that Japan will be able to overcome the damaged infrastructure of electricity and communication as soon as possible"
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Friday`s post-tsunami scene could be described as one of the country`s deepest traumas since World War II after Hiroshima was hit by an atomic bomb.

The bulldozing tsunami triggered by an 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Japan on Friday perfectly reminded Indonesian people of similar disaster that hit the province of Aceh on December 26, 2004.

Part of Aceh province then was obliterated by a massive tsunami, claiming more than 200,000 lives and leaving hundreds of thousands other homeless.

The one in Japan on Friday devastated the northeast coast of Japan, turning cars into driftwood, washing away neighborhoods and leaving that industrialized country bracing for an epic humanitarian disaster.

As of Saturday morning, news outlets reported that at least 1,000 people have died and thousands more have been reported missing.

The quake which struck at 2.46 pm local time with its ensuing tsunami left at least 2 million people without power in Tokyo, temporarily halted rail service, and largely disrupted mobile phone communication.

But Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economy Hatta Rajasa has expressed hope that life in Japan will soon recover.

"I am very sure that Japan will be able to overcome the damaged infrastructure of electricity and communication as soon as possible," Hatta Rajasa said.

He also believed that economic conditions in Japan will soon recover because the country has been familiar with earthquake disaster and knew how the rehabilitation and reconstruction were all about.

"We hope life in Japan will soon return to normal because I am sure its economic condition will not be disturbed by the devastating earthquake and tsunami disaster," Hatta said.

He said the tsunami in Japan reminded Indonesians of the same disaster in Aceh and therefore he added that the government was ready to extend assistance to the country.

After attending a Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) alumni gathering in Jakarta on Friday night, Hatta said the government was ready to extend assistance to Japan because the country has always helped Indonesia when disaster hit.

"We will certainly give our support and assistance to Japan because every time our country is hit by earthquake and other disaster, Tokyo always gives a helping hand to us," Hatta said.

Meanwhile, deputy for industry and trade to the coordinating minister for economic affairs Edy Putra Irawady said here on Friday that the disaster in Japan might have the potential of affecting Indonesia`s exports to Japan.

"So exporters, importers and business world alike should be patient or switch to new markets other than Japan," Edy Putra Irawady said.

He said two-way trade between Japan and Indonesia might be disrupted and Japanese investment in Indonesia might decline.

But Hatta Rajasa expressed hope that relation between Indonesia and Japan would not be disturbed and the country`s commitment to invest in Indonesia would remain running as usual.

"Hopefully our export relation will remain unaffected. So long as investment is concerned, Japan has a high commitment to competing what has been planned with us," Hatta said.

Sharing with Hatta`s statement, acting Chief of the Fiscal Policy Board (BKF) at the Finance Ministry Bambang Brodjonegoro expressed hope the disaster would have no prolonged impact particularly on the Indonesian economy.

"Japan is relatively more prepared (than any other nations) to deal with the impact of disasters so Friday`s quake and tsunami will likely have a relatively small impact on its economy," he said.

Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was deeply concerned over the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Julian said the president hoped that the disaster would not claim too many lives or cause too much damage.

"This is very serious and the President hopes it will not result in too many casualties and damages," Julian said, adding that President Yudhoyono also hoped the Japanese government and people could deal with the disaster well.

According to Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono, the Indonesian government was ready to assist the post disaster relief efforts in Japan.

"Indonesia is ready to help the related sectors. We are ready to send medical, rescue and search teams and I believe that personnel from the Indonesian Military and Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) are also ready to be dispatched to the affected areas," Agung Laksono said here on Friday.

He said Japan had been very helpful to Indonesia when the country was struck by several deadly natural disasters in the past years. Therefore it was Indonesia`s time to do the same for Japan.

PMI spokesman Exkuwin Suharyanto said here on Saturday that the Indonesian Red Cross would send a seven-member team to Japan to help victims of the powerful earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

"We are going to send a team of seven to Japan on Monday, March 14, 2011, and we are at present coordinating with the National Search and Rescue (SAR) team," Suharyanto said.

He said the team to be sent to Japan was made up of five rescuers and two surgeons.

Suharyanto added that he was also making coordinating with Japan`s Red Cross to decide where the PMI team would be assigned to help disaster victims.

"This is an advance team, and after coordination with Japan`s Red Cross we will decide if we can give other assistance to the earthquake and tsunami victims," Suharyanto said.(*)

O001/HAJM

Reporter: Otniel Tam
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2011