In a special one-on-one with CNN's Talk Asia this weekend, Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga reveals how and when she heard the news about the Tsunami that struck the country on 26 December.
The episode will be aired on 22 January 22 at 9:30 am, 7 pm and 10:30 pm. The repeat telecast will be on 23 January at 8:30 pm and on 24 January at 9 am.
"You know it was a terrific shock even before I landed. I didn’t know what to feel, because I love the sea… so it was just a feeling of absolute incredulity that this gorgeous thing, which we love so much, would just rise up and cause this devastation," Kumaratunga said.
During the half-hour special edition of Talk Asia, the Sri Lankan president also discusses with host Satinder Bindra about the post-Tsunami efforts to help repair and rebuild various affected regions of Sri Lanka.
When asked about shelter for those displaced by the tidal waves, Kumaratunga replies, "From now onwards we are going on with the housing program, rebuilding roads, school and all the other things, the electricity, the power supplies, telecom, hospitals, all this will begin within the next two weeks and we hope we can complete it in six months."
Additionally, the President comments on the relief aid provided by both the Sri Lankan people and the international community.
She concludes the interview by discussing the adoption of hundreds of orphans, the aid supplies for rebel forces in Sri Lanka, and the recovery of Sri Lanka’s predominant industries such as fishing and tourism.
