MUMBAI: The findings of the CNN - Time poll, which was conducted by TNS revealed that citizens in two of the worst hit countries by the Asian tsunami were more satisfied with the way the international community responded to their situation than with the way their own governments responded.

Whilst on average, 74.4 per cent of respondents in the two countries surveyed, India and Indonesia, believe that the response of both their respective governments and that of the international community to their country’s situation was satisfactory, more respondents in both countries reported being satisfied by the response of the international community.

In Indonesia, where satisfaction was found to be higher overall, positive sentiment saw more than eight in 10 Indonesians (82 per cent) satisfied by the efforts of the international community compared with 75 per cent who expressed satisfaction with response by the Indonesian government.

In India, more than one quarter (27.3 per cent) of those polled reported being dissatisfied with the response from the Indian government – more than five per cent higher than the 22 per cent who were not satisfied with the response from the international community.

Commenting on the findings, TNS Indonesia associate director Daniel Lindgren said, "The response to the disaster has been overwhelming, as highlighted by the generally positive results. In Indonesia, aid material was coming into Jakarta quicker than it could be dispatched. And foreign aid companies were met by red tape and other difficulties when trying to access the more remote areas, in particular in Aceh. People are very well informed about events here and as a result the satisfaction with the Government’s support is lower."

TNS Hong Kong associate director Andrew Davison, on the other hand says, "This is the first time in the history of India, that the Indian Government has declined foreign aid as far possible in a bid to come through a tragedy on its own. Such an apparently dogmatic approach combined with the inevitable pockets of disgruntlement in cases where aid has not reached the ground as quickly as it should have are most likely the reasons for the higher levels of dissatisfaction we see expressed in India than in Indonesia. However, in India, the government’s stance has instilled a sense of pride and self confidence in the Indian public as well as a realisation that the Indian economy has come of age to the point where it is capable of taking care of its own."

This CNN-Time poll was conducted from 15 January to 17 January, 2005. Fieldwork in India was conducted in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, and in Indonesia in Jakarta only. The survey covered a random sample of 1,530 respondents; 1,025 adults in India and 505 in Indonesia. Total results are presented at 95 per cent confidence levels with a maximum margin of error of +/- 2.6 per cent.