Sri Lanka marks fifth tsunami anniversary

COLOMBO - Sri Lanka Saturday marked the fifth anniversary of the 2004 tsunami that killed more than 40,000 people on the island, with religious ceremonies and offering of alms to invoke blessings on those who perished.

Families of tsunami victims in coastal areas in the eastern, southern and western provinces took part in the religious events as the nation observed a two-minute silence in memory of those killed.

In Karathivu, 350 km east of Colombo, villagers displayed photographs of some 400 people killed in the tsunami and gathered for a Hindu ceremony.

“Although the infrastructure, including houses have been rebuilt, each of these families is still devastated as they not only miss their loved ones, but also remember that terrible day,” resident Sivalingam Muttusamy said.

He said that almost every family in the fishing village was affected, with some losing three to four family members.

In the southern coastal areas of Galle and Matara, which are predominantly Buddhist, monks held commemorative ceremonies.

Some of the families visited Buddhist temples and offered alms to monks to invoke blessings on those who died, keeping with the belief that their offerings would bring merit on their dead family members.

The majority of those displaced by the tsunami have found new homes, but some are unhappy about the new locations, as they are too far inland.

“Our families have been affected as we have been settled about two kilometres inland. We were fishermen by profession and now find it difficult to engage in fishing,” said Nimal Gamini from Galle.

The government initially declared a buffer zone ranging from one kilometre to 500 metres from the sea. The decision resulted in some sea-side dwellers being relocated. However, the restrictions were lifted nearly a year after the tsunami.

More than 100,000 houses, shops and other buildings were damaged or destroyed in the tsunami.