These foreign students are from the US, Japan and mostly from Australia. To ensure safety, the Australian embassy in Jakarta has set up a hotline for the Australian students. In case of emergency, they can call this hotline for help. The Australian embassy has prepared a helicopter to transport the students in case of emergency. In Teresa s opinion, conflicts in Aceh, Ambon and East Timor are really economic and cultural conflicts.
Westerners still think that the conflict is a result of the religious differences in Indonesia.
The uneven distribution of wealth between various areas and Jakarta is one of the catalyst in this conflict. As a result, people are angry because the wealth is only enjoyed by a select few, for example in Aceh. She pointed out that it is inaccurate to describe the Aceh society as radical etc. because this is a cultural issue. Another example, such as the conflict in Sambas, the Madura people as a foreigner should adapt themselves in where they are. It is not that the indigenous people is racist against the Muslim majority because they also dislike the Chinese people who are not Muslim.