Aid Pulled Again After Photos, East Nusa Tenggara Flood Refugees Protest And Refuse To Meet Social Minister Risma

Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini (Instagram)

JAKARTA - A video from Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) went viral. The video shows how a number of residents refused the aid which they called just an imaging event. They also refused to meet the Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Tri Rismaharini.

Residents, who were reportedly refugees and volunteers, did not accept the attitude of donors who brought back aid shortly after photo sessions and filming video documentation. All information starts from Twitter user uploads, @ipunglombok.

In the upload, he wrote a donation given to the refugees as a mere formality. Indeed, in the video, it appears a resident in a long-sleeved shirt asks donors to take home donated items.

"Donations of flood disasters are only a formality to be shot and then taken home again and tomorrow, out the broadcast has sent help. Our village gets flooded becomes the formality aid given for the news," he wrote.

"We were told to search, through the valley, we bet our life, not because take care of this stuff sir, just take it home," said the volunteer.

"There are still many donors whose hearts are sincere, don't because of this stuff you do not consider us sirs," he added.

Donations of flood disasters are just a formality to be shot and then taken home again and tomorrow, out the broadcast has sent help. Our village gets flooded becomes the formality aid given for the news

Video 1 pic.twitter.com/GEJi60GMbe

— ANAK_PinggirKali (@IpungLombok) April 6, 2021

"If you want a minister or deputy governor to come here, the deputy governor last night talked to me on TV, he said he wanted to come here, but if the procedure is like this, take it here, photographed and then brought it again, take it straight home, it's too complicated, just take it home sir, we don't need it," he said.

Furthermore, the man in the green shirt also expressed resistance to the district officers. The reason is, there's never been a district officer seen since the first day of flooding.

"Come just after D day, as if to rule us here. Sir, our post is a pure volunteer post. We don't discriminate," he said.

The volunteer also claimed to be disappointed because the district was seemed to herd the refugees to meet the Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Tri Rismaharini who was in the district office.

Why do the refugees have to meet Risma? That's what they think. 'That's what we don't want. If the minister wants to meet with refugees, then the minister comes here."

"They (refugees) should not get out of here, because the physical and psychic are sick, why brought us to meet healthy people just because they are officials."

"If you want a minister or deputy governor to come here, the deputy governor last night talked to me on TV, he said he wanted to come here, but if the procedure is like this, take it here, photographed and then brought it again, take it straight home, it's too complicated, just take it home sir, we don't need it," he said.