Operation Phuket – 100 days
on
It's been over 100 days since the Boxing Day tsunami devastated parts
of Asia. Deputy Commissioner Lyn Provost recently spent three days
in Phuket, Thailand visiting the NZ Police Contingent who are part of an
international
Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team helping to identify the thousands
killed in the disaster.
Lyn reports that the team is making good progress with the time-consuming
task of examining, analysing and identifying the victims.
"The New Zealanders are obviously very well-respected for their expertise
and we're covering a number of key positions in ante and post mortem
and reconciliation work when they identify individuals," says Lyn.
Lyn says NZ Police has benefited both tangibly and intangibly from
its involvement with the relief effort.
"It's been a good test of DVI practice. The international DVI standards
were written with the perspective of say, an aeroplane crash in mind, not
thousands of people.
"We've also learnt to work in an international environment and work
with a multitude of other countries, each with different ways of doing things
in terms of policing, but also in terms of their culture and the way they
do things. It's been very good for us to have that experience."
NZ Police participation in the DVI team is also a sound demonstration
of our commitment to international cooperation.
Lyn would like to thank the members of the NZ team who hosted her while
she was there. "They were professional and always willing to explain
to me what they were doing.
"The rotations have had to confront some horrific scenes and work in
less than ideal surroundings. I am very proud of what they have achieved.
"It made me proud to be a New Zealander and particularly proud to be
Deputy Commissioner and see the great job our people are doing up there.
It also made me reflect on how lucky we are to have our loved ones
alive and with us and our infrastructure and commerce intact," says
Lyn.
Operation Phuket as at 5 April 2005:
- 4090 post mortems performed
- Three New Zealanders confirmed dead
- 1,151 reconciliations
- 495 bodies repatriated
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