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Thousands mourn the dead

Published on December 27, 2005 - Events too lavish, too upbeat for many villagers and relatives of disaster victims. The government-organised tsunami commemoration yesterday drew heavy criticism from local villagers and returning survivors as being too lavish, commercially driven and too exclusive.

Thousands of lanterns are released during the 1st anniversary of tsunami ceremony.

Yesterday, thousands of survivors and relatives mourned the deaths of their loved ones one year after the tragedy struck, killing a quarter of a million people throughout the region. The Boxing Day disaster also destroyed homes, villages and the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people, and the government’s commemorative ceremony in the six provinces of Thailand that were worst hit was intended to help people grieve and to show the world that the tourism-reliant areas had recovered. “Four hundred million baht [for the ceremony]? It’s too much,” said Prasith Kaetkrai, a village leader of Baan Thungwa, who lives just a kilometre from the site of yesterday morning’s commemoration service.

The sea gypsy village of 70 families lost 42 members, including Prasith’s wife, to the savage power of the tsunami waves.

“The money could have been put to better use by helping us, the victims,” he said. “We have not had a single baht from the government. Our whole village was rebuilt by help from private donors and foundations. We still have no tap water in the community.”

Prasith organised a three-day event to remember the disaster and invited various grassroots groups to join the people’s commemoration instead of the government’s.

He said the event was needed to highlight the continued plight of the poor in the six provinces who are still suffering from the impact of the December 26 tsunami.

It was in stark contrast to the government service, which featured a chamber orchestra and Miss Universe as the MC in the afternoon.

Thousands of survivors and relatives joined in the memorial services or held their own yesterday at seven locations in Thailand where the earthquake-generated waves killed 5,395 people one year ago.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, attending one of the bigger ceremonies in Phuket, said he hoped all the victims “will be happy in their next life”.

Many foreigners who arrived at Phuket Airport for the ceremonies were handed a 96-page booklet filled with a shopping list and a special “Andaman Grand Sale discount card” that had the government’s tsunami logo printed next to it.

The message in the booklet by Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop stated that the government was hosting a “gigantic Andaman Grand Sale” but nothing about remembrance.

Some people, like Inger Ostergren, head of the Regional Tsunami Response team of Save the Children Sweden which is helping both Thai and Swedish children recover from the traumatic experience, questioned the government’s spending.

“Of course it’s to attract tourists again,” said Ostergren, who felt however that she was not sure if spending money on the fares for foreign relatives of the victims and their accommodation was appropriate.

Twenty-seven-year-old Pole Marta Rabska, a survivor of the Boxing Day tsunami who came back to compliment the Thai government said it was money well spent.

“I don’t think they’re pushing [the sales]. They’re helping tourists to come back.”

“I think the government did a very good job. It will heal those who were suffering,” said Adel Jala, a Saudi Arabian diplomat who works in Germany and another survivor of the gigantic wave who lost a friend at Khao Lak’s Sofitel Resort.

“We came with tears in our eyes and sorrow in our hearts. It will help us get on with the future. If you look at it, in a way we’re remembering the dead and celebrating those who survived,” he said, adding he wanted to openly thank His Majesty the King and his government.

Thais who were critical of the events did not feel confident about identifying themselves, however.

One was a lecturer from a top Thai university and a guest of the afternoon's Tsunami Memorial foundation-stone laying ceremony at Khao Lak-Lamru National Park.

“We’re not a rich country. What the government is doing is overdone. It’s wasteful,” he said. “Villagers’ problems are not being solved yet and it’s like the rain isn’t falling to soothe everyone evenly. But I think it’s too risky for me to stand and talk to you. It won’t be good.”

As the Chamber Orchestra played inappropriately joyous music – Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nacht” (a Little Night Music) – the afternoon event resembled at times a posh concert at an exclusive beach.

In the morning, MC Natharadee Vajraprichanond used over-hyped English expressions like “I am thrilled to welcome you ...”, and again there was joyous Thai pop music.

“I felt it was festive. They were selling tragedy for tourism,” said a Thai staff member of an international aid agency who asked not to be named.

“The staff at the airport were in such a good mood, as if it was a celebration.”

At Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park, Prime Minister Thaksin laid the foundation stone for the Tsunami Memorial. However, there was criticism that the construction of the memorial in a protected area would affect the forest.

While some villagers did not know about the museum project, some foreigners agreed a museum should be there.

“I returned to Phi Phi Island for my beloved wife who was lost in the huge waves,” said Mischol Luduic from Switzerland.

“I prayed for her this morning on Phi Phi Island alone. Now my heart and soul has recovered a little bit. Then I joined the memorial here and agree that the Thai government should have a museum to learn about the disaster.”

Phatarawadee Phataranawik,
Pravit Rojanaphruk
Phang-nga