On the other hand, is what's happening on the beaches really the whole picture, or just a fragment of a distorted tabloid mirror? We all know that many tourists who miraculously survived the tsunami later did their best to take part in clearing the debris and searching for the missing. Many tourists who returned from tsunami-hit countries are now organizing private initiatives to help the residents of the villages or resort towns where they experienced the disaster. So one should not accuse all tourists indiscriminately of callousness and insensitivity.
However, there remains a question for the future: is it possible, is it morally acceptable to go on vacation now to Southeast Asian countries, where tens and hundreds of thousands of people died? After all, the world is big; there are many countries where the sun shines even in winter and the warm ocean beckons.
In Germany, travel agencies are offering to change already booked tours without any penalties. Don't want Thailand? Fly to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, or Kenya.
But what will happen to the countries affected by the tsunami if tourists from wealthy countries avoid them? That would be a second disaster for them. After all, many of them, such as the Maldives or Thailand, are completely dependent on tourism. No tourists means no jobs, no return to normal life. These countries would face complete impoverishment.
No, from a moral standpoint, going on vacation to Southeast Asian countries is both possible and necessary. Another question is how to behave there. For example, one should not expect perfect service and comfort in the regions affected by the disaster. Still less should one make a scene over any trifle. In short, one should not persistently demonstrate that a tourist with his dollars or euros is the master of life.
But many are stopped not even by moral questions, but by simple human fear. It is appropriate to recall here that the disaster did not happen because of the local residents or even their governments. It was a natural calamity of unprecedented scale. If people are guilty of anything, it is only that this region had no early warning system for danger. Now, at the donor countries conference in Jakarta, a decision to create such a system has been made.
It is precisely now that we need to show solidarity with the people in the countries affected by the tsunami. For them, not only donations and financial assistance are important, but also simply the hope that life goes on even after a disaster.
Struck by the elements
INDONESIA The epicenter of the earthquake that generated a record-breaking tsunami was off the coast of Sumatra island in the western part of the Indonesian archipelago. The earthquake occurred at 8 a.m. local time (about 1 a.m. GMT) on Sunday. As a result, dozens of houses were destroyed, and then a ten-meter ocean wave hit the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra. According to officials, Aceh, being closest to the epicenter, suffered the most. Coastal cities and villages and the island resort of Nias were flooded.
SRI LANKA A wide coastal strip on the eastern coast of the island was destroyed, from the city of Jaffna in the north to the tourist-favorite beaches in the southern part. In the Muttur and Trincomalee areas, waves six meters high were recorded. More than a million people had to leave their homes. The port in the country's capital, Colombo, was closed due to the flooding.
INDIA Areas along a coastline of about 2,000 km were flooded by the waves. The capital of Tamil Nadu state, Madras, suffered especially. The affected states include Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, as well as the federal territory of Pondicherry. Hundreds of fishermen are considered missing. It is reported that the waves are washing dozens of bodies ashore. In Tamil Nadu, a nuclear reactor was shut down – water flooded the living quarters of the nuclear plant's employees. Severe damage was caused to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Piers were destroyed, and residents were forced to leave their homes.
THAILAND The western coast of the country was affected, including the island resorts of Phuket and Phi Phi, popular with foreign tourists, as well as the coastal resorts of Krabi and Phang Nga. It is reported that dozens of divers and tourists sunbathing on the beaches were swept away from the beaches and coastal coral reefs.
MALDIVES The islands were hit by high waves and floods. Many areas in the country's capital, Male, went underwater. Many islands were deserted. Communication with some of the 200 islands of the archipelago has not yet been established.
MALAYSIA The wave covered the beaches on Penang island in the northern part of the country. The states of Kedah and Perak also fell within the affected area.
SOMALIA The impact of the waves was felt in northern Somalia, more than six thousand kilometers from the earthquake epicenter. Unconfirmed reports of casualties are coming in from the Kabal area in the northeast and from Elmaan, north of the capital, Mogadishu. Waves were also recorded in Kenya. They reached there via Mauritius and the Seychelles.
BURMA A huge wave, as reported, covered the southeastern coast of the country.