Tsunami Loss Felt Deeply

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On aid and relief efforts to the striken region

As a Thai person, I would like to say sorry to everyone, Thai or foreigner, who suffered, lost family, got injured or passed away in my homeland. No one is to be blamed, (it was) the power of nature.

In Thailand, (according to) Thai society, we help each other. After the disaster we feel unity, everyone tries to help as they can -- some more, some less -- blood, food, water, money, etc. I am sure that no one in the south is hungry or thirsty in this time; our assistance from the whole country cheers them up to fight further -- life goes on.

For short-term assistance, do not worry about Thailand, but in the long term, to re-build, we need help. Thanks everyone for the donations. I hope in the near future Phuket, Phi Phi Island, Khao Lak will be the same as they were -- the pearl of Andaman. -- Dornnapha Sukkree

From all reports the Tsunami relief effort is a magnificent effort of what can be achieved when humanity pulls together. It is a great pity that it takes a natural disaster for this to happen. -- Phil Day

Overall that the world is doing a very good job of giving aid to those affected by the tsunami. However, I was extremely embarrassed by the behavior of my government, the United States, in the days after the disaster. Not only was Bush's response slow, but also the amount of aid to be given seemed small compared with the fact that the average citizens of my country have donated just as much as the government. To me it only seems logical that the richest country in the world should give more aid than that donated by its own citizens privately. -- Joshua Jennings

I am an American of Vietnamese descent and travel to southeast Asia every year to help my mom in her charitable campaigns in the region, such as building schools, hospitals and immunizing children, and never once have I met a single European trying to help the region. I find it hypocritical for Europeans to call Americans stingy in helping the region only after this disaster (occurred) because so many Europeans lost their lives in the tsunami. These same Europeans who vacation there have seen the poverty in the region and never cared before. Europeans, especially Germans and French, are selectively blind when it suits them.

I find it hilarious that your great leader Schröder demands western nations to reduce their debts to southeast Asian countries to help alleviate the region's poverty. It's ironic that the poverty was a direct result of European colonization. The British, French, Dutch, Spanish and Germans never cared for the region as they raped and pillaged it and now try to act as great humanitarians. The evil European empire of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries has manifested itself in EU (Evil Union) of the 20th and 21st centuries. -- Steve Nguyen, USA

Apart from the international relief operation, the most important thing is psychological help for those who survive. It's difficult to imagine how they can go on living with the fact that they have witnessed this disaster, especially for those who had been asked for help during the danger but couldn't and the one who asked for help finally died! -- cky

Go to the next page to read comments about the high Swedish death toll.

Sweden's loss of life

Sweden and other Nordic countries are (being) keenly affected by the tsunami disaster with such a large number of dead, missing, and injured citizens. The governments should have reacted more quickly, but they are not alone in being a bit slow to act. -- Steve Heneghan, USA

Our hearts go out to those who suffered such grievous loss and trauma. A joyful escape from the grim winter should not end this way. Any loss is terrible, but when the percentage is so high relative to the population it transcends mere tragedy. -- Suzanne Howell

Two Swedish priests pay respects to six victims of the tsunami disaster at a ceremony held at the Phuket International Airport, Thailand on Monday

The degree to which a nation mourns the loss of life in a tragedy is clearly related to its sense of community, its prior experience with tragedies and the value it assigns to life.

We in the USA felt very strongly our losses on Sept. 11, 2001 and we feel it now in Iraq as it affects both our and Iraqi troops and ordinary Iraqi citizens.

We are all enormously saddened by the incredible loss of life from this tragedy and especially so because it was so concentrated in its affect and indiscriminate in claiming the young, the old and everyone between who did nothing wrong except to wake up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I see it as a compliment to the people of Sweden that they feel their losses so deeply, for it is a result of their sense of community and appreciation of the value of life.

May more of the world's citizens be free enough and educated enough that they can have the same sensitivity to the loss of life that Sweden's citizens have. -- Hal Eis, USA