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PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND THE TSUNAMI-PART II (JANUARY 5, 2005 - JANUARY 17, 2005)
FEB 22, 2005 - 4:48PM PST
by Millicent R. Jefferson

CPD Media Monitor Report by Molly Claflin and Millicent Jefferson A two-part summary of press reports on public diplomacy issues and the December 2004 Tsunami Crisis. A supplement to John Brown’s Public Diplomacy Press Review. Less than one month after the tsunami hit Southeast Asia, nations around the world continued to show their generosity by supporting the victims affected by the disaster. The outpour of aid was remarkable. East Timor, which had been invaded and occupied by Indonesia in the 1970s, was now reaching out to its former adversary. Beslan, a Russian town that suffered a terrorist siege in September 2004, offered some of its own relief funds to assist countries decimated by the tsunami. The world press labeled this international outflow of sympathy and assistance as “tsunami diplomacy.” In spite of the apparent success of the global effort to rebuild Southeast Asia, concerns about long-term support remain in question. Journalists and scholars discussing the difference between pledged contributions and the actual amount of aid given are worried that many of the countries will not follow through with their aid commitments. Skeptics argue that it is one thing to say a country is going to give millions of dollars in aid, but how much the country ends up giving is another story entirely. This issue is fueling debate over whether the surge of international generosity is a genuine effort to help Southeast Asia recover or if it is simply another opportunity for propaganda – a superficial attempt to project an image of goodwill. Furthermore, ongoing dialogue about the enmity between Muslims and the West remains a recurrent topic in the press. After the Indonesian government expressed its desire to see all American and foreign troops administering disaster relief evacuate the area by March 31st, 2005, talks of Muslim “hatred” towards America and its allies dominated the news in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Islamic extremists were quoted as saying that the tsunami was a punishment from Allah to all the “heretic” countries that supported the U.S. and its invasion of Iraq. However, the opposition brings to light the fact that the area that suffered the worst damage was Aceh, the most Islamist province in Indonesia. Altercations such as this certainly have wide-reaching effects; the U.S. and its allies continue to have an unfavorable image within the Muslim world, while Islamic hypocrisy moves to damage its own reputation in the international community. Click here to read "Public Diplomacy and the Tsunami-Part I." Tsunami Aid Ingrates (Mona Charen, Washington Times, January 17, 2005) The Indonesian government's hatred for the United States overpowers even the most dire needs of its suffering people. Certainly the Indonesian government does not speak for everyone in the country. Many Indonesians have expressed their thanks to the United States and the rest of the world for tsunami relief. But neither is it deniable that Islamic extremists have poisoned many minds in the Muslim world. Bush Says Military Tsunami Aid Helps Foreign Image (Reuters, New York Times, January…... FULL TEXT

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