A Report on Tsunami 2004 on the website of International Amateur Radio Union

[Shekhar Suman Singh]

A Report on Tsunami 2004 on the website of International Amateur Radio
Union (http://www.iaru.org/)

Messages from Member Societies - Tsunami Disaster

Taken from the link--
http://www.iaru-r3.org/dcom/200412tsunami.htm


* From: "Chandru" [ARSI - India]
To: 'Keigo Komuro, JA1KAB'
Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 9:51 PM
Subject: RE: Amateur Radio Disaster Relief - News Article

The destruction and the havoc caused by the tsunami in the
countries around Bay of Bengal is already known to the world.

The Amateure Radio Operators contribution to the disaster
communication has been of great help and appreciated by all.

The very first person to take up disaster communication from
Andaman was Bharathi vu2rbi and her couleges who had gone their for a
DX Expedition. On hearing about the disaster many more amateur radio
operators traveled to Andaman and some of them were deployed in Car
Nicobar and other Islands.

Many amateur radio operators also went to Coastal regions of
India and to assist in disaster communication.

The efforts of the amateur radio operators in the field was
backed up by realistations on the main land mainly from Bangalore,
Hydrabad, Kalkutta and other centers.

This combined effort from amateur radio operators has been
appreciated by all particularly the Government of India and NGO's
operating in disaster areas. In fact the Government has issued a
blanket permission for amateur radio operators to carry their
equipments and operate in disaster affected areas.

The community of amateur radio operators in India are united in
their efforts as never before. The interclub (Societies Association)
rivalries has been forgotten and all are working towards helping in
establishing communication. This is something very good for the
amateur radio operators community in India.

I have received many messages from amateur radio clubs in other
countries offering assistance and help I will be writing to them
individually. In the meantime I take this opportunity to thank all of
them.

I will be able to send a more detail account after some of the
operators return from the disaster area.

73's
Chandru

* From: "Kusal Epa" [RSSL Sri - Lanka]
To: IARU Region 3
Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2004 11:27 PM
Subject: From RSSL - Tsunami Disaster Relief Net

Hi,

This is to inform you that The Radio Society of Sri Lanka (RSSL)
has deployed it's members to operate a disaster relief communications
network as normal communications links have been cut off due to the
disaster caused by tidal waves.
Our network operates on VHF through a local repeater and on HF
on 7.060 MHz (mostly during daytime on HF).

73!

Kusal Epa - 4S7KE
Secretary - RSSL

* From: "Tony Waltham" [RAST - Thailand]
To: IARU Region 3 Member Societies
Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2004 12:37 AM
Subject: Radio Amateur Society of Thailand seeks your help

Dear OM,

On behalf of the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand I would like
to seek your society's assistance in helping devastated Thai coastal
communities, if you or your members are able to do this.

You have probably heard that the western coast of southern
Thailand was devastated by a tsunami (tidal wave) on the morning of
Sunday, December 26, 2004.

As rescue efforts continue (at the time of writing on the
evening of Tuesday, Dec 28), the death toll exceeds 1,000 and is
likely to rise to over 2,000 as more bodies are being recovered from
remote areas and islands. In addition, over 7,500 Thais and foreign
tourists are now receiving medical attention.

The Thai government has appealed for donations to assist people
in the devastated areas while RAST understands that as far as
Thailand's communications needs are concerned, the situation is now
under control. Thai hams are helping to relay information between the
affected areas along the west coast in the South to government
agencies, mostly on VHF and 40 metres, as well as disseminating news
and information over VHF frequencies in Bangkok.

Echolink, too, has played a role in enabling radio amateurs here
to relay information to concerned friends and relatives of those
holidaying in the affected areas.

In assessing what our society might be able to do in the wake of
this disaster and in how best to respond to generous offers of
assistance and support made by ham friends around the world we believe
that what is now needed the most is help for the many thousands of
people made homeless by the tsunami.

RAST would like to announce that we are now accepting donations
and that we will pass on all financial support received to the Thai
Government which has opened a channel for this.

We will be giving full credit to all contributions from the
international amateur radio community as well as to individual donors
and donor organisations that help us in this time of dire need and we
hope that this publicity will help by promoting awareness both at home
and abroad of the resources and goodwill that our hobby can mobilise.

The best way for anyone to transfer funds to RAST for this
purpose would be by wire transfer to a RAST bank account at the
Siam City Bank:
Ratchawat Branch No 111
SWIFT Code: SITYTHBK
Account Type: Savings
Account Number: 111-2-22688-4
Account Name: RAST
(Full name: Radio Amateur Society of Thailand)

We also ask that all donors send details of their support to
d...@thai.com by email or, alternatively, by Fax to +662-321-6443 for
our records and also that we can acknowledge the donation or pledge
and so that we can give full credit and recognition to their
generosity in our time of need.

Please help Thailand to help the victims of this natural
disaster in any that way you can. We encourage you to pass this appeal
along to any others who you feel may be able to help.

Thank you,
73 and 88
Mayuree Chotikul, HS1YL, President
Radio Amateur Society of Thailand
under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King

(Message sent by Tony Waltham, HS0ZDX, RAST Vice President and
International Liaison Officer)
Tony Waltham

* From: "Musa Suraatmadja" [ORARI - Indonesia]
To: "IARU Region 3"
Cc: "ORARI Pusat", "YB0PHM"
Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2004 4:51 PM
Subject: Re: A Message of Sympathy

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for your message of sympathy. Our ORARI members are
amongst the volunteers to go to the stricken areas, doing emergency
communication, rescue operations and other things.

Thanks again.

de Musa-YB0MOS

* From: "G.Victor A .Goonetilleke" [RSSL - Sri Lanka]
To: "IARU Region 3", "ARSI: Ramchandra VU2RCR", "MARTS: Admin"
"ORARI: Musa Suraatmadja, YB0MOS", "RAST: Tony Waltham, HS0ZDX"
"SARTS: Jothinathan, 9V1JN"
Cc: "Chandru, VU2RCR", "K.C. Selvadurai, 9V1UV", "Peter Naish,
VK2BPN"
"Yoshiji Sekido, JJ1OEY", "Young-Soon Park, HL1IFM"
Sent: Monday, December 27, 2004 3:11 PM
Subject: Re: A Message of Sympathy

Great to hear from you. Will respond soon.
All of us are ok here. Trying hard to organize some emmergency
communications and also doing some food destributions and things like
that. Snce the affected areas are so widespread things are very hard.
Everyone within 1000 metres or so of the coast have been badly
affected right along the coast from North to South on the eastern side
of the island. In some areas as fari as 2-3kms. On the Western side
not so bad, about 100 metres from the coast.as the quake was on the
Eastern side of the island and the tidal waves came from the East/
S.East. You would have seen the vast destruction..frightening..

regards
Victor



-----------------------
73
Shekhar