Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou (1st right) and government officials observe 88 seconds of silence for hundreds of people killed during the Typhoon Morakot, which struck the island August 8-9, at a memorial service in Kaohsiung yesterday. CNA

TAIPEI: Choirs sang in a stadium decked with white flowers as Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou led a mass memorial service yesterday for the hundreds who died in the flooding and landslides triggered by Typhoon Morakot last month.

A somber-faced Ma led the 5,000 mourners packed into the Kaohsiung Arena in observing 88 seconds of silence to mourn those who died in the storm.

Ma then laid a wreath on the stage in front of the mourners, who included government officials, typhoon survivors and volunteer rescue workers.

"The massive flooding was the kind that strikes only once in a hundred years, washing away our beautiful homes and wiping out the lives of hundreds of our people in minutes," Ma said in a brief eulogy. "This has caused permanent trauma in our minds ... I know that no matter what compensation we offer, it can by no means make up for the loss."

Ma said he was saddened by the tragedy and that he accepted blame for it.

He also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the thousands of volunteers and his admiration for them, as well as for the policemen, firefighters and soldiers who helped with the rescue and relief operations in the aftermath of the typhoon.

Ma paid special tribute to seven rescue workers, including three officers of the "National Airborne Service Corps" and a volunteer firefighter, who lost their lives while trying to rescue people after the typhoon.

Ma prayed for the dead to rest in peace, and pledged that he will lead Taiwan to recover from the disaster in the shortest possible time.

Typhoon Morakot left at least 614 dead, 75 others missing and thousands homeless.

On the matter of post-disaster reconstruction, Ma spoke of the statute enacted last week to authorize a special budget of NT$120 billion ($3.64 billion) for all relevant projects.

Most of the bridges and roads damaged in the storm have been repaired and many blocked rivers have been cleared, he said.

He told survivors at the ceremony that the government will do its utmost to address schooling and resettlement issues so that their lives can get back on track as soon as possible.

Ma encouraged them to call on their fortitude and vitality to rebuild their homes and lives, with the help of the government.

He also promised that his administration will enact new laws to protect mountain slopes and riversides to prevent a recurrence of the deadly flooding and mudslides that ravaged Taiwan during the typhoon.

"Co-existence with nature and no construction in flood- and landslide-prone regions will be the top guidelines in future national land planning," Ma elaborated.

He also thanked the countries and regions around the world that have contributed funds and relief goods to Taiwan for the post-disaster rehabilitation.

"The typhoon brought tribulation that drew warmth and empathy from the world," he said.

Ma especially mentioned the mainland, whose donations included NT$5 billion in cash - the largest sum Taiwan received from a single overseas source for post-Morakot relief.

"This shows that blood is thicker than water among people across the Taiwan Straits," he added.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 09/08/2009 page2)