JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS — Amnesty International Indonesia has sharply criticized the Indonesian government’s disaster response after white flags were raised across parts of Aceh, symbolizing desperation among communities affected by devastating floods and landslides in Sumatra.

Responding to the phenomenon, Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid said the white flags — seen in Aceh Tamiang, Bireuen, North Aceh, Pidie Jaya, and Banda Aceh — represent “the voice of the people” trapped by mud, hunger, and isolation.

“For thousands of residents surrounded by floodwaters and facing food shortages, these white flags are an expression of disappointment over the state’s failure to act swiftly and decisively,” Hamid said in a statement on Friday.

The ecological disaster has struck Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra for more than three weeks, undermining repeated claims by the central government that the situation remains “under control.” According to Amnesty, the continued refusal to declare a National Disaster and the rejection of international assistance raise serious human rights concerns.

“With more than a thousand people dead, hundreds of thousands displaced, and critical infrastructure paralyzed, arguments about ‘self-reliance’ are no longer relevant,” Hamid said. He criticized remarks by President Prabowo Subianto and senior officials who have rejected foreign aid and framed outside assistance as interference by parties “unfriendly to Indonesia’s strength.”

“State self-reliance cannot be used to justify allowing citizens to suffer,” Hamid stressed, pointing to Indonesia’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to protect the right to life, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) to ensure adequate standards of living, including access to food and healthcare.