Asian nations remember those who died in the tsunami five years ago
Across Indonesia's Aceh province, where more than 160,000 people lost their lives, solemn group prayers were offered, but the atmosphere was also festive.
In Ulee Lheue, in Banda Ache’s Meuraxa District, Vice President Boediono and a number of cabinet ministers attended a commemoration ceremony along with at least 5,000 people.
In the great mosque of Kami Lhoong, in Aceh Besar District, hundreds of Muslims came together last night for a nighttime prayer vigil. Another prayer ceremony was held in Bandung (West Java).
Hundreds of survivors took part in various ceremonies, mourning the loss of their loved ones and the terrible transformation brought to their lives and their province.
On the western coast of Thailand, thousands of Buddhist monks gathered in various locations to pay tribute to the dead.
In this part of the world, some 5,000 people died on that fateful day, including more than 2,000 foreigners from 37 different countries. From the beaches, votive candles were set adrift in the sea.
In Sri Lanka, where at least 30,000 people died, the nation observed two minutes of silence.
After the tsunami of 26 December 2004, the various Asian nations on the Indian Ocean set up an early warning system to avoid tragedies of such magnitude. Although it appears to be working, there are still some hitches to work out.
The greatest difficulty of all is reconstruction. The international community responded to the tragedy with great generosity but the problem of corruption has emerged, especially in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India.
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