VARIOUS: FORMER UNITED STATES PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON PRAISES RECOVERY EFFORTS IN TSUNAMI-HIT INDONESIA AS THAILAND OPENS TSUNAMI WARNING CENTRE

Record ID: 337996

  • Title: VARIOUS: FORMER UNITED STATES PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON PRAISES RECOVERY EFFORTS IN TSUNAMI-HIT INDONESIA AS THAILAND OPENS TSUNAMI WARNING CENTRE
  • Date: 31st May 2005
  • Summary: (BN11) BANDA ACEH, ACEH PROVINCE, INDONESIA (MAY 30, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. SLV PLANE ON TARMAC; SLV FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON ARRIVING, GETTING OFF PLANE AND GREETING OFFICIALS AND LEAVING (3 SHOTS) 0.22 (BN11) JANTHO, ACEH PROVINCE (MAY 30, 2005) (REUTERS) 2. SLV CONVOY ARRIVING AT CAMP INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE DUE TO THE TSUNAMI 0.29 3. SLV CLINTON WALKING HAND IN HAND WITH CHILDREN IN CAMP; MV CLINTON ACCEPTING DRAWING FROM BOY; SLV CLINTON LEAVING CAMP (3 SHOTS) 0.52 (BN11) BANDA ACEH, ACEH PROVINCE (MAY 30, 2005) (REUTERS) 4. CLINTON ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE; CAMERAMAN FILMING CLINTON 1.03 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CLINTON, SAYING: "Both the United Nation's system and the government of Indonesia have signed agreements with qualified professionals to follow the money and to make sure that all the contracts are transparent and open and that corruption won't exist so if the experts are permitted to do their job according to the agreements that have been made then I think that you and the donor community and the citizens who need the help will be convinced that this is a whole new day in the expenditure of aid." 6. CLINTON SPEAKING TO MEDIA 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CLINTON, SAYING: "I have been very impressed with the leadership of the new president of Indonesia. I have been impressed by the candid way he has tried to handle this terrible tragedy. I have been impressed that there is at least talking between the two sides in Aceh and I think the United States should support these directions." 8. CLINTON LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE 2.28 (BN11) BANGKOK, THAILAND (MAY 30, 2005) (REUTERS) 9. MV THAI PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN SHINAWATRA ARRIVING AT NATIONAL DISASTER WARNING CENTRE (NDWC); MV THAKSIN PRESSING BUTTON TO OPEN CENTRE; SCU SIGN FOR NDWC/OFFICIALS WALKING IN 10. SLV OFFICIALS CARRYING OUT SIMULATION OF TSUNAMI DRILL 11. MV MEDIA WATCHING/INTERIOR OF CENTRE; MV THAKSIN LOOKING ON; CLOSE ON COMPUTER SCREEN 3.14 12. MV THAKSIN COMING OUT OF DRILL TO TALK TO MEDIA 13. (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) THAKSIN SHINAWATRA, THAI PRIME MINISTER, SAYING: "I am very satisfied, I never thought we would come so far so fast." 3.24 14. THAKSIN TALKING TO MEDIA 3.29 15. (SOUNDBITE) (English) THAKSIN, SAYING: "At least the tourists will have more confidence in Thailand that we stand ready, we welcome them back. We are ready to warn them if there were to have another tsunami or whatever. I think they will be safe, they will be safe in the area." 3.47 16. WIDE OF ENTRANCE TO CENTRE WITH PRESS AND OFFICIALS GATHERED AS THAKSIN'S ENTOURAGE LEAVES 3.58 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 15th June 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ACEH PROVINCE, INDONESIA/BANGKOK, THAILAND
  • City:
  • Country: Thailand Indonesia
  • Reuters ID: LVACDP0IB35MCVNU4CBUUI7MQNR2
  • Story Text: Former U.S. President Bill Clinton praises recovery
    efforts in tsunami-hit Indonesia as Thailand opens a
    tsunami warning centre.

    Former U.S. President Bill Clinton on Monday (May
    30, 2005) praised Indonesia's efforts to rebuild tsunami-hit Aceh
    province.

    But he also urged a solid foundation for economic
    growth be put in place.

    The U.N.'s envoy for tsunami relief arrived in local
    provincial capital Banda Aceh to meet local government
    officials and aid representatives, before heading off to
    meet
    tsunami survivors at a U.N.-run camp out of town.

    Clinton, who had visited Aceh in mid-February, said
    adequate steps are also being made to ensure the 1.2
    billion U.S. dollars in foreign aid for Aceh's
    reconstruction efforts will be well-spent, as well as
    corrupt-free.

    More than 228,000 people were killed or went missing in
    the waves that hit a dozen Indian Ocean countries on
    December 26.

    Meanwhile, Thailand opened a national disaster warning
    centre on Monday (May 30).

    Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the system
    provided more than enough time to give people enough
    warning in the case of an approaching tsunami.

    Although the tsunami warning system was not yet
    complete because it still required sea buoys to measure a
    tsunami's impact, it would be effective for now, Thaksin
    said.

    The centre, supplied with 30 million baht (750,000 U.S.

    dollars) worth of communication equipment from a group of
    American software firms, is crammed with computer screens
    and linked to earthquake centres in Japan and Hawaii.

    The centre, which would issue alerts on other natural
    disasters such as floods, forest fires, and hazardous
    chemical leaks, will receive and analyse earthquake
    information from provincial meteorological offices across
    the country.

    If it believed a tsunami was coming, a warning would be
    sent to all television channels, radio stations and mobile
    phones by text messages.

    Thaksin said he hoped the warning system would entice
    tourists back to Thailand's beaches.


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