Foreign tourists far out on the sand after the water receeded react as the first of six tsunami start to roll towards Hat Rai Lay Beach, near Krabi in southern Thailand, 26 December.
Posted on 12/30/2004 3:09:51 PM PST by BurbankKarl
The Swedish media and public have sharply criticised the Swedish government - in particular Prime Minister Goran Persson and Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds - for their response to the Asian tsunami disaster.
Mr Persson said more than 1,000 Swedes may have been killed by the giant waves that wreaked havoc on Sunday in Thai beach resorts, where Swedes and other foreign tourists were on holiday.
The daily Aftonbladet lashed out at Foreign Minister Freivalds with the headline "She went to the theatre" - instead of staying at her post to command a relief effort.
According to the paper, which traced the activities of her ministry after the tsunami story first broke, she did not turn up at her desk for another 31 hours.
Angry e-mails
It was already known that about 15,000 Swedes were staying at resorts on Thailand's southwestern coast, in and around Phuket.
Since then the Swedish Foreign Ministry has been deluged with e-mails accusing the government of indecision and a failure to act.
This injured Swedish woman was rescued from Phi Phi island "Your government's incompetence shines like a bonfire in the night," said one of the e-mails, quoted by Sweden's TT news agency.
Another wrote: "It's shameful to be Swedish today because of your weakness".
Ms Freivalds was criticised on television by a director of one of Sweden's biggest charter holiday companies, Fritidsresor.
Sweden has now started to organise airlifts to get the stranded and injured Swedes home from the resorts - but they have been waiting for days.
The newspaper Expressen said it had received more than 1,000 e-mails and telephone calls from its readers, expressing anger and disappointment.
The Swedish charter companies and the embassy in Bangkok, it says, perceived the enormity of the catastrophe long before the government chose to act.
Prime Minister Persson, quoted by Expressen, admitted: "I suppose one can say we have acted too late".
"There may be grounds for citicism. No criticism is without cause. Let's examine this when we've got all the Swedes home. I understand the anger and frustration," Mr Persson said.
Under scrutiny
Angry citizens have sent messages to the government calling for the resignations of Mr Persson and Ms Freivalds, accusing them of "inability to act".
The bodies have been lying unrefrigerated and are deteriorating rapidly
Bill Patterson Australian diplomat, Thailand
More accounts from Thailand Eyewitness: Patong salvage Many of them say Sweden's inaction contrasts unfavourably with the speed of other countries' actions to rescue their citizens.
Ann-Louise Eksborg, director-general of Sweden's national crisis management authority, says that Sweden's preparedness to deal with great crises leaves a lot to be desired.
In an article in the daily Dagens Nyheter, she accuses the government of a lack of planning, a failure to co-operate with local authorities and emergency services, and a lack of political responsibility.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Swedish Red Cross, Anders Milton, says in another article in Dagens Nyheter that the tragedy will leave "deep and lasting wounds" in Swedish society.
He says the Swedish authorities must be better prepared to deal with catastrophes in areas where many Swedes are present.
He admits that the delay in acting was largely due to the Christmas holiday - for both organisations and government authorities.
New Year's Day has been declared a day of national mourning in Sweden, and many local authorities are cancelling festivities or replacing them with mourning processions.
Geez, these people are more crazy their our leftists! I'm sure they're an inspiration to the DUmpsters.
OK, I don't know squat about Swedish politics and Swedish media, but isn't the Embassy in Bangkok part of the Swedish government?
They just want some "I feel your pain" sympathy. It does take awhile to mobilize. Doing is better than "saying"
--and Kofi Annan was skiing---
I would think so!
I get the impression from this article that the Swedes got to see planes from other countries evacuate citizens for a few days before a Swedish plane arrived.
This is just frustration boiling over.
Foreign tourists far out on the sand after the water receeded react as the first of six tsunami start to roll towards Hat Rai Lay Beach, near Krabi in southern Thailand, 26 December.
Christmas as a religious holiday means zilch to most Swedes, but their guaranteed holidays are sacred in that socialist swamp.
The media is driving this "controversy".
Been following all of this and while they have helpful players among the U.N., Leahy and Lib elites..IMO, the media has decided the story of a national disaster isn't juicy enough so they have used this as an opportunity to bash Bush, bash America and bash all governments and institutions to boost their ratings. They are even attacking Kofi, which they rarely do.
Getting the feeling the MSM is on a high right now at a ratings bonanza and it's making me ill they are doing this on the backs of the dead.
I am listening to Radio Sweden...they said they want all the bodies returned to Sweden....and definitely not to burn any.
The first report I saw on this disaster was 1,500 killed. Maybe going to the theater was not such a slight.
One more sub-plot for the movie of the week (Probable title; "Tsunami") which, no doubt, is being formulated as I write. More likely than not a big hit for sweeps week.
I don't understand the people that went out there when the water first receded.
How could you not realize that something was very, very wrong?
SAS opens an airlift to Thailand
2004-12-29
Starting today, the 29th of December, SAS, in response to requests from the Scandinavian governments, has opened an airlift between Scandinavia and Thailand to bring home travelers who have been affected by the catastrophe in Southeast Asia.
"We are pleased that we can do our part in helping those who have been affected in Thailand by using this airlift," says Lars Lindgren, head of Scandinavian Airlines International who is responsible for SAS intercontinental traffic. "Together with the existing capacity from the scheduled daily departures from Bangkok in the following days, we count on being able to bring home around 3500 passengers."
From now until New Year 's Day, thirteen extra flights will take place. Of these, four will go to Oslo, six to Arlanda and three to Copenhagen. The flights will go to both Bangkok and Phuket. Boeing 737-800 and Airbus 330/340 aircraft will be used. The first two planes left Arlanda before lunchtime today.
"We see ourselves as the airline of the Scandinavian people, and of course we do what we can to help to rescue Scandinavians, who have been affected by this tragic catastrophe," says Anders Ehrling, CEO for Scandinavian Airlines Sweden. "We are now receiving daily calls from pilots as well as cabin attendants who are prepared to volunteer their help. I also know that my colleagues in SAS Braathens in Norway and Scandinavian Airlines in Denmark see the situation in the same way."
For further information, please contact;
Anders Ehrling, CEO SAS Scandinavian Airlines Sweden
phone +46 8 797 3330 (press duty Scandinavian Airlines Sweden)
From personal experience I can tell you that this level of arrogance among our own consulate corps is pretty typical.
That is some photo!
I would have dove under the wave....that usually worked in body surfing....it beats riding the wave into the rocks I suppose.
Curiosity paralysis, the same thing as the deer in the headlights problem. Before your brain can process that you are in danger, you are in danger... especially if you didn't know there was such a thing as a tsunami.
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