PM Vanhanen in Thailand: Finland supports tsunami warning system

Prime Minister expresses thanks to Thai people for help extended to Finns in disaster

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Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre)  has promised Finland's support for the establishment of a warning system for tsunamis. Vanhanen, who arrived in Bangkok on Sunday, conveyed the thanks of the Finnish people to ordinary Thais who helped Finnish tourists in the aftermath of the recent disaster.
      Accompanied by the Prime Ministers of Sweden and Norway, Vanhanen visited a victim identification centre that had been set up in a temple near the disaster area, and toured some of the areas that had been destroyed.
      "Finland can offer applicable technology, such as communications systems", Vanhanen noted. He mentioned advanced sensors and special buoys developed by Finnish companies.
     
"Extensive cooperation is needed for the system to be set up", Vanhanen emphasised.
      Agreeing with him were Sweden's Prime Minister Göran Persson, and Norway's Kjell Magne Bondevik, who expressed their countries' support for the effort.
      The tsunami early warning system took centre stage when the Nordic leaders arrived in Thailand on Sunday afternoon to meet King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and to tour the devastated areas.
      The lack of an early warning system became apparent in the worst possible way when more than 160,000 people in countries on the shore of the Indian Ocean were killed by massive waves resulting from an earthquake at the bottom of the ocean.
      Thailand has already set up a provisional warning system, which should give a warning of a possible tsunami half an hour before it reaches shore. The hope is to set up a permanent system as soon as possible.
     
The Thai government has said that it does not need economic aid for reconstruction, and Vanhanen said that he is not imposing it on the Thais.
      "But it is possible to help local people in the devastated areas, and that is what we intend to do", Vanhanen emphasised. He said that in practice this means channelling Finnish state aid through various organisations.
      "The Finnish Red Cross is planning a project to equip a hospital for the local population. The state supports this project."
     
He added that the best way for Finns to help the Thais is to continue to travel to Thailand as tourists.
      Vanhanen said that the main purpose of the trip is to share the grief of the Thai people and to extend the thanks of the Finns.
      "I have received many requests to extend thanks to ordinary Thais. Those who were here during the crisis have told me repeatedly about the unselfish helpfulness of the local people", Vanhanen said at an international press conference on Sunday evening.
      He said that he hoped that his message would be widely publicised in Thailand.
     
The expression of condolences to Thais who had lost loved ones began in Hua Hin, about 100 kilometres southwest of Bangkok, at a meeting with the King, whose grandson was among the casualties.
      On Monday the Nordic prime ministers moved on to Phuket, and to the badly damaged Khao Lak. Also on the schedule was a visit to the Yan Yao temple north of Khao Lak.
      "The visit was timed in such a way that it would not harm the actual rescue mission", Vanhanen said.
      Prime Minister Vanhanen is to return to Finland on Tuesday.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finnish, Swedish, and Norwegian Prime Ministers to visit Thailand (5.1.2005)

Links:
  Finnish Government Information Unit press release: Prime Minister Vanhanen to Thailand

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