The area around the mass prayer service`s venue was decorated with yellow paper flowers to give a special nuance to the day to remember the day in December 2004 that 9-magnitude Richter Scale earth quake was followed by the devastating tsunami.
The tsunami that damaged a lot of buildings including residential houses, schools and government infrastructures attracted the world attention to assist at the moment.
The tsunami remembrance function that took place in Lhoknga, one of the most severely affected areas in Aceh province, was also attended by Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf, Aceh Deputy Governor Muhammad Nazar, chief of Aceh provincial legislative assembly, police and military leaders.
Head of Aceh provincial legislative assembly Hasbi Abdullah and a great number of school students also took part in the contemplative event.
Apart from praying to God, an Islamic cleric from Jakarta, Arifin IIham, guided the people in conducting the prayers.
After being triggered by the major earth quake, the tsunami swept most part of Aceh province and Nias district in North Sumatra province.
The tsunami was also reported to have struck Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Maldives and Thailand.
More than 200 thousands people were also reportedly killed and went missing and rendered about one million others homeless.
In contemplating the tsunami`s impact, Aceh Deputy Governor Muhammad Nazar when preaching at a tsunami reflection function in
Dayah (Islamic Boarding School) Nurul Jannah Al Aziziah Darul Makmur, Nagan Raya district, on December 26 among others urged the province`s people to be united.
"Behind the impact of the tsunami, the people can take wisdom and lessons such as safety measures," he said.
Meanwhile, the Aceh Students Association in Jakarta (Kompa Jaya) was also scheduled to commemorate the tsunami disaster.
The Kompa Jaya chairman, Denni Arie Mahessa said that the tsunami contemplation event was important to be held although it is simple in nature.
According to Denni, the function was intrinsically aimed at praying for Aceh people who became victims in the tsunami.
Apart from that, on every December 26, most of the bereaved-families normally pay remembrance visits to the graves of tsunami victims.
In the meantime, Meri Yulanda or Hera Wati (15 years old), a resident of Sangkis alley, Ujong Baroh village, Johan Pahlawan sub-district, Aceh Barat district, who went missing following the tsunami in Aceh, on December 26, 2004, has returned to her parents.
According to Wati`s grand father Ibrahim Nur in Meulaboh, capital of Aceh Barat district over-the-weekend, (Meri) went missing during the tsunami in Aceh on December 26, 2004, when she was only still eight years old.
"I am sure that she (Meri) is my grand-child, because her trace is similar to that of my grandchild when the tsunami struck eight years ago," Ibrahim said.
"After the tsunami struck, I was in Aceh Utara and then in Aceh Besar," Ibrahim quoted Wati as saying.
Ibrahim said that Meri arrived at the Meulaboh bus terminal from Banda Aceh, capital of Aceh province on Wednesday (Dec 21).
Meri did not know where she lived prior to the tsunami in Meulaboh until after some local residents guided her to her grand father, Ibrahim.
When the local residents questioned Meri following her arrival at the Meulaboh bus terminal, the 15 year-old girl only remembered her grandfather`s name as Ibrahim.
Ibrahim then asked Meri`s parents, Yusniar,35 (her mother) and M Tarmiyunus,43 (her father) to check whether or not Meri was really their missing daughter.
"Having a mole and a scar above her eyelids, it proved that Meri is my daughter," said Yusniar, adding that Meri`s older daughter Yuli survived during the tsunami.
"Actually I have been searching my missing daughter since she went missing following the tsunami, but I am not sure that she is still alive because I lost her when I saved her older sister and younger sister," she added.
Yusniar expressed hope that both the central and the regional governments would assist her family especially to provide school fund for Meri because her daughter had lost at least seven years time for schooling.
It was also reported that during her stay in Banda Aceh about 200 kilometers from Meulaboh where she was swept away by the tsunami, Meri was forced by her adoptive mother Fatimahsyam to become a street beggar.
The unlucky Meri Yulanda is now waiting for the government`s assistance to possibly continue her study in the most-western province of Indonesia. (*)
Reporter: Bustanuddin
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
