Aceh's road to recovery

As the showpiece project of the multi-billion dollar Aceh recovery effort, the new 240km highway traversing Sumatra's tsunami-ravaged north-western coast is already revitalizing commerce and changing lives in the 74 villages along its path. But after innumerable obstacles and a two-year delay in its completion, it is perhaps not surprising that last October's official opening of the American and Japanese-funded undertaking was marked by a distinct lack of fanfare or celebration.

In Jakarta, it passed almost unnoticed. For all the goodwill involved at the outset, contentious land purchases, graveyard and mosque relocations, bad weather and the sheer complexity of finding a new track for a quarter of the road all conspired to make it more of a challenge than anyone had imagined. Indonesian government critics say the Americans also paid little attention to the post-conflict conditions in Aceh and as a result were not prepared for the Free Aceh Movement's role in representing land owners, including many who had died in the tragedy.

Credits: The Straits Times