Asia marks tsunamis fifth anniversary

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia, (AFP) - People across Asia paused Saturday to remember the day five years ago when an undersea earthquake unleashed a devastating wave that killed more than 220,000 people.
A solemn day of prayers and remembrance to mark one of the worlds worst natural disasters was held in Indonesias Aceh province, which lost almost 170,000 people in the Asian tsunami of December 26, 2004.
Prayers were said in mosques throughout the staunchly Islamic province, and beside mass graves near the local capital of Banda Aceh. At the site of one of the graves, where more than 14,000 unidentified victims are buried, an elderly woman sat on the ground weeping and reciting Holy Quran for the 40 members of her family who died.
None of my family members survived in the tsunami. My children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, they all have gone and left me alone here, Siti Aminah, 72, told AFP.
Two kilometres away, Indonesian Vice-President Boediono led a prayer ceremony in the port of Ulee Lheu in memory of those lost.
Five years on, Acehnese people with support from international communities have managed to rise again and to lead a new life to rebuild their social, economic and cultural life in a peaceful situation, he told about 1,000 residents, schoolchildren and officials.
In Sri Lanka, President Mahinda Rajapakse led remembrance ceremonies by observing two minutes of silence for tsunami victims.
State radio and television halted broadcasts for two minutes in the morning at 9:25am local (0355 GMT) to coincide with the time the tsunami struck the islands southern coastal regions. Low-key commemorations marked the anniversary in southern India, which bore the brunt of the disaster in that country, with an estimated 6,500 deaths.
On Marina Beach in Chennai, capital of Tamil Nadu state, women from nearby fishing hamlets poured milk into the sea and showered flower petals over the water as a mark of respect for those who died.
In Thailand, where the tsunami killed 5,395 people according to an official toll, religious ceremonies were held on the beach in Phang Nga on the west coast, which was worst hit, and on the southern tourist isle of Phuket.
Police said some 1,000 Thais and foreigners attended the ceremony at Ban Namkhem in Phang Nga Saturday morning, while 200 people gathered at Patong beach in Phuket for prayers and to see flower wreaths laid in commemoration.
UN Under-Secretary General Noeleen Heyzer said countries in the region had been working with international partners to strengthen early-warning systems but significant gaps needed to be addressed.
We wont know when the next major tsunami in the Indian Ocean will strike, she added. But by learning from disaster response, recovery and preparedness efforts - we can ensure our future is a safer one.