Body pit enough to make a commander cry  January 10, 2005 Surge
of emotion ... Paul Bilney, of Adelaide, beside the burial area
in Bang Maruen, near Khao Lak.  Photo: Tamara Dean  An
Australian volunteer tells Neil McMahon of his work in the
cremation zone in Khao Lak.  At the body pit, Paul Bilney is
reflecting on the week that seared his soul, a time of
experiences so profound that the memories may be a blessing and
a curse.  Two weeks ago Mr Bilney, 47, the manager of an
Adelaide law firm, was so moved by images of the tsunami's
scythe of death that he decided to help.  He and his wife had
visited Thailand more than a dozen times; it was time to make
the journey again. "So I booked a flight and here I am."  Now Mr
Bilney stands next to a mass grave near Khao Lak watching scores
of bodies being buried beneath humble numbered posts, while off
to his right a fire burns awaiting corpses for cremation. This,
he says categorically, is a Thai cemetery; contrary to
international concern, there are no foreigners he