Bangkok--Dec 21--Francom Asia
Hundreds of thousands died and hundreds of thousands remain homeless in thirteen countries one year after one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in history swept through South Asia. On December 25 and 26, CNN International broadcasts “TSUNAMI: ONE YEAR AFTER” to report on the issues raised in the aftermath of the tsunami as well as updating some of the key stories which touched the world in the days and weeks following the devastation.
CNN correspondent Atika Shubert reports from the Indonesian province of Aceh where, to date, only one major project is underway. The Road to Meulaboh links the province’s west coast to the capital Banda Aceh. Shubert talks to the people and communities along the way in a bid to find out how long Aceh’s road to recovery will be.
In the face of adversity there were, however, some positive signs as Shubert reports on Intel’s contribution to help rebuild Aceh by providing wireless networks. CNN also examines how peace was brought to the region when Aceh’s separatist rebels signed a peace deal with the Indonesian government.
CNN’s Satinder Bindra reports from Sri Lanka where approximately U.S. $11 billion in pledges and donations was pledged. While some villages have fared reasonably well from such aid and have managed to rebuild their lives, CNN also looks at the other towns which haven’t fared as well. Bindra also meets ‘Baby 81’ a child who was claimed by many families as theirs; but was only reunited with his real parents after an agonizing wait and DNA testing.
For many in Sri Lanka, the train which was washed from its tracks killing 1,500 became a symbol of the nation’s grief. The rail service has now been restored and CNN will be taking a trip to meet a conductor who was on the line on that fateful day and who has returned to work on the same line since services were restored.
From India, CNN’s Ram Ramgopal looks at the plight of the children orphaned by the devastating tsunami. Have they been adopted or are they caught up in red tape? Ramgopal also looks at the success rate of a government post-tsunami program to reverse a birth control procedure carried out in Tamil Nadu—where at least 2,500 children perished in the natural disaster.
In Thailand, CNN’s Aneesh Raman reports from Bangkok and the popular tourist destination of Phuket where one hotel owner who lost his daughter in the disaster, is preparing to reopen for business. Raman will also take this opportunity to look into how the Thai government is trying to revitalize the island’s tourist industry.
Also reporting from Thailand is Kristie Lu Stout, where the American Aid Organization USAID works with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other geological agencies to plan an integrated tsunami warning network for countries surrounding the Indian Ocean who were affected by events which transpired on that day.
In addition to “TSUNAMI: ONE YEAR AFTER”, CNN will replay an updated version of last year’s special program ‘VOICES FROM THE TSUNAMI’. CNN’s Alex Quade reunites with three siblings who were orphaned after the tsunami destroyed their village located on Aceh’s coast. All that was left of their belongings was the motorbike they used to out-run the wave and the clothes on their back. Quade sees how these children have managed to survive the past year without their parents, their house and their belongings. Matthew Chance, Stan Grant and Mike Chinoy also provide reports on stories of life, love and loss from the stricken regions.
For more information please contact:
Nuttaporn Tangwongsan
Francom Asia Ltd.
Tel. (66) 02 233 4329 / 30 / 38 / 39 , 02 267 0820, 02 636 8339
Fax (66) 02 236 8030
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