No. 52/MC.TDBM/11/2010

SIARAN PERS

No.   52/MC.TDBM/11/2010

MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WILL RELEASE MOVIE ABOUT EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

Yogyakarta, 20/11/2010 (Media Center Kominfo, 14:00) – Indonesia is a country prone to natural disaster, especially earthquake. In order to increase people’s understanding on disaster, Kemkominfo shortly will release movie about early warning system (EWS).

“We are about to finish a movie about earthquake early warning system. The movie will tell us about Indonesia, a country prone to natural disaster, about earthquake itself, and what happen when an earthquake strikes an area” said Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Tifatul Sembiring to the reporter when visiting Media Center of Merapi Disaster Emergency Relief on Jalan Kenari No 14a Yogyakarta, Saturday (20/11)

The movie is aiming to improve people’s awareness toward the effect caused by earthquake. This film will appear throughout Indonesia, in cooperation with National Disaster Mitigation Body (BNPB). So that people will know what to do and what are the required steps what natural disaster happens. “The movie will be shown in schools and offices throughout Indonesia in cooperation with related institution.” He said.

When people are aware of the effect of earthquake, said Tifatul, it will surely able to prevent the the number of casualties, especially the number of death.

The minister subsequently shared stories on tsunami disaster that caused by earthquake in Aceh few years ago. The death toll reached 250.000 people. Out of that enormous number, there is one area called Simeuleu Municipality in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) Province that only has few casualties while its citizen is 181.000 people.

Why is that so, Tifatul said, it is because of the people have local wisdom. Since old time and from generations they give understanding to their offsprings through local traditional poetry and chant about what to do when the seawater subside, fish come, and earthquake happened, they should run for the hill to survive. “The chant and poetry was there because tsunami have occurred hundreds of years ago.” Tifatul added.

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Contact          : Hartje Winerungan, Head of PR-BNPB

Phone                        : 0274 – 547 359 (Hotline Media Center)

Mobile                        : 0815 9926 781

Contact          : Selamatta Sembiring, Public Information Agency-Kemenkominfo

Mobile                        : 08128334942