In Thailand, red tape frustrates tsunami survivors, church workers

Published: 2005-01-06

KRABI, Thailand (CNS) -- Government red tape is frustrating not only tsunami survivors but also church workers trying to get financial help to those whose homes have been ruined but who lack proper documentation. Sacred Heart Sister Marasi Junchalor said the government's insistence on paperwork was limiting the speed and efficiency with which aid could be provided to Thais from Phi Phi Island, devastated by the Dec. 26 waves. Sister Marasi said she is so frustrated that she wants to "curse" government officials for an "insane" bureaucracy. She spoke to UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. "It is as if the trauma, shock and anxiety from the ordeal are not enough. The government now asks survivors to run around filling out forms and providing legal documents to get money to replace their destroyed homes," she said.

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