Muted New Year in respect for the dead

Happy New Year? Not this year, not in quake-tsunami region.

Authorities around the Asian region battered by the tragedy that killed more than 100,000 people scaled back or cancelled celebrations today.

In many places, people were too busy counting the dead, feeding survivors and combating the spread of disease to even think about partying.

Away from the disaster areas, parties that were going ahead were expected to be used to raise relief funds.

The Australian city of Sydney, which throws its biggest party of the year on December 31, said it was too late to cancel festivities that include big ticket bashes around its glittering harbour and multimillion pound firework shows from the Harbour Bridge.

Council spokesman Jeff Lewis said revellers would be urged to give generously to a disaster fund.

“We’ve got up to a million in our audience around the harbour and another four or five million Australians that will be watching on television,” Lewis said. “It would only take a couple of dollars from each to raise up to (€4.2m).”

Glaswegian Angela Kretz, 29 and Tanya Ozolins, 23, camped on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House to secure a prime view of the fireworks display. The pair debated whether it was selfish to celebrate while so many people were suffering in Asia.

In the end, they decided to donate money rather than forego the New Year’s Eve party.

“To be here is really amazing,” said Angela. “So we’d rather donate some money than see the fireworks be cancelled.”

In Thailand, which announced its official death toll had soared to more than 4,500, parties were scrapped across the country.

“The Thai government has called for cooperation from government agencies and the private sector to cancel all New Year celebrations”, said government spokesman Jakrapob Penkair.

A countdown party in Bangkok, that was to have featured Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and glamorous tennis stars Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams, was cancelled and officials urged people to attend religious services to mourn victims of the tsunami instead.

China Central Television cancelled its live New Year’s Eve gala programming out of respect for the disaster victims.

Hundreds of thousands of Malaysians flocked to mosques, temples and churches for special prayers nationwide to mark a sombre New Year’s Eve following the region’s earthquake-tsunami disaster.

Government officials in the mostly Muslim country banned firework displays and cancelled public concerts and celebrations as a sign of mourning for at least 66 Malaysians confirmed killed.

The Islamic sultanate of Brunei also scrapped New Year’s Eve festivities and held prayers at mosques. Many Malaysian hotels, shopping malls and night clubs planned to hold a minute of silence before midnight instead of the traditional New Year countdowns.