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Indonesia

Indonesia: Taiwan donates 3,000 tons of rice to Aceh

Banda Aceh, Serambi Indonesia -- Head of Taipei Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta, David Lin, presents 3,000 tons of rice for tsunami survivor in Aceh to the governor of Aceh. The rice, brought to Indonesia by US NGO Feed the Children (FTC), presented during a dinner with governor wife, Meutia Syafrida, in governor house in Banda Aceh on Thursday night.

Governor Abu Bakar couldn't attend the dinner, as he has another meeting. Apart from David Lin, the dinner attended by Aceh Food Security Agency HT Zaionel Arifin Panglima Polem and his wife, as well as FTC President Larry Jones.

According to Larry Jones, FTC is not only brought the rice to Aceh, but will also responsible for the rice distribution to refugee in Aceh. ''We know they are already busy enough to implement so many reconstruction project, so we decided to help them in distributing this rice,'' Jones said.

David Lin admitted that Taiwan knows that WFP already committed to provide food until December 2005. But he is very sure the Taiwan rice could bring another help to lessen the burden of the tsunami survivors.

In early March, The Republic of China (Taiwan) representative office in Washington, D.C. announced it will donate 10,000 tons of rice to Aceh, through the United States-based Feed the Children. © dik