The toughest task faced by the international community as it strives to help victims of the tsunami is in Aceh, the Indonesian province that bore the brunt of the disaster.
Nearly 110,000 people have died in Aceh alone and much of the area has been flattened. A massive relief operation is under way. But that effort is at risk of being undermined by the Indonesian government's political agenda - and the self-interest of its military. Aceh has been torn apart by decades of civil war between separatist rebels and government forces. Indonesian troops launched a ruthless military crackdown in May 2003. Martial law was declared.
Until the disaster struck, foreign aid workers and journalists were barred from Aceh. The military was able to tighten its grip on the province. There have been widespread allegations of serious human rights abuses. Corruption has flourished.
But this situation had to change when the huge waves hit the province. The army could not cope with the devastation or provide the necessary aid. Suddenly, Aceh was opened up. Thousands of foreign aid workers and troops have poured in.
There are now some 60 different aid organisations operating in Aceh. Soldiers from Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and the US are helping with the relief effort. Spanish troops are on the way.
This is precisely the response the people of Aceh needed. There is no hope of rebuilding their shattered lives unless that international presence is maintained over the long-term - and unless it is given the freedom it needs to get on with the job.
But the Indonesian government has other political concerns. The arrival of so many foreigners in Aceh has loosened the military control over the province. It has not been able to keep up the pressure on the rebels. It is also possible that previous rights abuses by troops will be exposed.