Thailand invites relatives and injured to tsunami memorial events

Press release 299/2005
5 October, 2005

Thailand’s foreign ministry held an information briefing in Bangkok, 4 October, for representatives of diplomatic missions. Finnish Ambassador Lars Backstrom was among those attending.

The mission representatives were briefed on plans to hold tsunami memorial events on Boxing Day, 26 December, this year in numerous localities hit by the disaster. Those mentioned include Kamala Beach, Batong Beach and Mai Khao Memorial Wall in Phuket, the Phi Phi Islands in Krabi and Ban Namkem and Bang Niang Beach in Phang-Nga. Among those invited to the events are government representatives who visited the region following the tsunami, relatives of the victims, people injured in the disaster, people who took part in the rescue operation and members of the diplomatic community. According to initial information, some 10,000 people will be invited to the memorial events. The invitation by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to the events clearly equally concerns the relatives of those who perished in the tsunami and the injured. How the invitations and other practical arrangements will be carried out have yet to be confirmed. The Finnish foreign ministry and the Finnish Embassy in Bangkok will provide information on this immediately more precise details are available from the Thai government.

The Thai foreign ministry gave the following initial information concerning arrangements:
25 December - Thai Airways charter flights will fly from Bangkok to Phuket.
26 December – morning event from 09:30 – 10:30 with the laying of the Tsunami Memorial foundation stone in Khao Lak-Lam National Park. There has been an architectural competition for this section of the Tsunami Memorial, and the five top entries may be on display at the event. In addition memorial events will be held in each of the localities that suffered most from the tsunami at the precise time the disaster struck last year. In the afternoon there will be an interdenominational ceremony at Bang Niang Beach in Phang-Nga. The Thai Prime Minister will speak at this event, there will be a minute’s silence, singing by a children’s choir, the lighting of floating lanterns and a children’s poetry recital.
27 December – the programme will cover visits around the region and Thai Airlines return flights to Bangkok.

Further information: Matti Junnila, development cooperation counselor, Unit for Asia and Oceania, tel: +358 9 1605 6359