CULTURE
Krabi Survivors' Lament
By Bangkok Post
Mar 5, 2006, 02:14

Government aid priority went to places with higher death tool, residents complain.

Away from the media spotlight and starved of government assistance, families in Krabi hit by the tsunamis feel they have been abandoned and left to their own devices.

While rescue efforts were focussed on tourist hot spots, such as Khao Lak in Phangnga province and Patong beach in Phuket, residents hit by the devastation in Krabi's Koh Lanta district feel they have been forgotten.

While much was made of the terrifying events that unfolded that day, residents say that in its aftermath the government was slow to deliver aid.

"It's a constant nightmare," said Ruangdech Klongdee, a villager from tambon Koh Klang's Ban Tha Klong.

The tsunami took the lives of his mother, his neighbours, and destroyed their fishing boats and homes.

Mr Ruangdech struggled to quantify his losses.

He said the number of casualties should not be a factor in determining the amount of assistance the government provides. Fewer casualties did not necessarily mean less devastation, he said.

"We may have lost fewer people than other areas, but the experience was no less painful for us," he said.

Wahad Daengdab, an Islamic teacher in Ban Tha Klong, said the reason the district had not been a priority for rehabilitation was possibly the relatively lower number of casualties, suggesting that the area may have suffered less damage. Not a single state official had visited the area for months, he said.

Left to fend for themselves, the villagers had looked to one another for help. They had established their own funds, with some contribution from the Rak Thai Foundation of prime minister's adviser Krasae Chanawongse, to create jobs for struggling families with many mouths to feed.

The fund also paid for the repair of boats so villagers could go out and fish again. Crab breeding became an important part-time activity for many families eager to replenish stocks of blue crab, which were depleted by the tsunamis.

Mangrove forests, which provided ample breeding space for marine creatures, were also being replanted. Large areas of mangrove forest had been destroyed by the tsunamis.

Panya Wamak, a member of the fund management committee, said villagers planned to build artificial coral reefs to replace those wiped out by the tsunamis. The man-made reefs would help to restore the near-shore eco-system and act as buffers against future tsunamis.

The project, however, was short of cash and Ban Tha Klong residents required the consent of a nearby village before erecting the reefs.

Harder to mend, however, were the emotional wounds the tsunamis had inflicted. Although the first anniversary of the tragedy had nearly arrived, some villagers are still too afraid to venture too far out to the sea, if at all.

Many people require psychological counselling, Mr Ruangdech said. Time would eventually heal the suffering. But many people needed to put their lives together again quickly.

Government aid had also bypassed Nua Klong district on the island of Koh Jam. The tsunamis wiped out numerous resorts and homestay accommodation on the island, which has only recently begun attracting tourists. People lost their livelihoods when their fishing boats were wrecked, but still the villagers received no help from the authorities as the tsunamis claimed no casualties in the island district.

The sad irony of the situation was underscored by the fact that scores of villagers from Koh Jam villagers perished on the nearby, world-famous Koh Phi Phi.

Yutthana Wongsachol, chairman of the village cooperative fund, said families affected had chipped in to set up the cooperative to repair or buy new fishing gear. The pace of recovery, however, was now picking up due to improved tourism-related earnings. Apart from sun and sand, the island is home to diverse ethnic groups, including Muslims, Chinese and Mokken, known as sea gypsies.

In tambon Ao Phra Nang, Muang district, the situation was slowly returning to normal.

The tsunamis pounded over 500 longtail boats used to ferry tourists to the various islands.

Bulan Nissakul, chairwoman of Krabi longtail boat association, said the boat owners have become self-reliant. She remembered an outpouring of help from the government and foundations in the aftermath of the tsunamis.

"But when the hype died down, everything went quiet," she said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/04Dec2005_news56.php

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