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Blood on Thai streets as political crisis worsens - AP
Thailand suffered its worst political violence in more than 16 years as police battled protesters who besieged the Parliament Tuesday in their struggle to change the country's system of democracy. One woman died and more than 400 people were injured.
The army moved into the streets of the capital, Bangkok, while most of the protesters eventually left the area around Parliament and regrouped on the grounds of the prime minister's office, which they have occupied since Aug. 26.
The violence heightened the political uncertainty that has bedeviled Thailand since early 2006, when large protests called for Thaksin Shinawatra, the tycoon-turned-prime minister, to step down for alleged corruption and abuse of power.
A September 2006 coup ousted Thaksin, but a military-appointed interim government proved incompetent and scared away foreign investors.
Thaksin's political allies were restored to power by a December 2007 election, serving only to deepen the split between his rural majority supporters and urban-based opponents, who have made it difficult for the government to function. The problems stayed at a boil when Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin's brother-in-law, became prime minister.
The upheaval comes at a tough time: the Thai stock market has sunk nearly 40 percent since May; a Muslim insurgency rages in the south; the rich tourist market has shrunk; and Thailand's great unifying figure, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, is 80, raising great concern about how the nation will cope with the eventual succession to the throne.
The protesters' rage over what they see as an effort to reinstall Thaksin by stealth leads some to suspect that they are pushing for a showdown that would re-energize them and possibly force another coup to oust the government. Thailand suffered its worst political violence in more than 16 years as police battled protesters who besieged the Parliament Tuesday ... more -
$4 Billion In Damages in Myanmar Cyclone Disaster!
"SINGAPORE - Myanmar needs at least $1 billion over the next three years to help rebuild the lives of survivors of Cyclone Nargis, a U.N.-led report said Monday in the first comprehensive assessment of the damage caused by the disaster that killed more than 84,000 people.
The May 2-3 cyclone caused an estimated $4 billion in damage, said the report prepared by the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Myanmar's military junta. Damage to assets was estimated at $1.7 billion and loss of income at $2.3 billion.
The cyclone devastated large swathes of the Irrawaddy delta and the Yangon region, killing at least 84,537 people and leaving 53,836 others missing and presumed dead, according to the junta.
ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said the three parties involved in the report are seeking at least $1 billion in international aid for humanitarian relief efforts alone over the next three years to deal with "a tragedy of immense proportions."
"The task ahead is clearly enormous and will take a lot of time, a lot of effort," Surin told a news conference, flanked by the foreign ministers of the 10 ASEAN countries and the U.N. humanitarian chief, John Holmes.
ASEAN helped facilitate contacts between international donors and Myanmar's military junta, which had initially refused to allow in foreign relief workers. The junta had also insisted on full control over international relief, holding up delivery for weeks while survivors waited in desperate conditions.
At a donor conference after the cyclone, participants demanded full access to storm-hit areas and an independent assessment of aid to ensure it was not being wasted or stolen.
"Both of those things are in place," Holmes said. "It is important to have a report of this quality to assure donors that resources are being well spent ... and that future assistance is fully justified," he said, appealing to donors to "continue to be generous."
U.N. short on aid request
He said the U.N. had appealed for $482 million in immediate assistance but is still short $300 million.
The report paints a dismal picture of the devastation caused by the cyclone, saying it is expected to wipe out about 2.7 percent of Myanmar's projected gross domestic product in 2008.
The storm destroyed 450,000 homes and damaged 350,000. About 75 percent of health facilities were damaged, as were 4,000 or more schools.
About 1.5 million acres of farmland and 60 percent of agricultural implements were destroyed, it said. In mid-June, 55 percent of survivors had enough food for only one day or less.
"We have tired to wipe some tears, soothe some aching hearts ... but not all," Surin said. Failure to provide them aid over the long term "will be detrimental to the very survival of the victims," he said.
Report avoids issue of junta's response
The report does not mention the junta's limited action in the first week after the disaster which drew worldwide criticism. Pictures of bodies floating in the water amid reports that soldiers were standing by idly horrified people around the world. The junta also was criticized for failing to accept international aid quickly and even physically preventing it from going to the hardest-hit areas.
Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo, who chaired the news conference, refused to allow a reporter's question to Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win about whether the junta felt that many lives could have been saved had it acted differently.
Yeo said that while "political questions" are relevant, the news conference was only about the assessment report.
ASEAN experts said the cyclone-hit area remains in a state of emergency.
"People live in a very precarious condition now. If we fail to sustain the recovery efforts, they may face a second emergency," said Puji Pujiono, a recovery assessment specialist in the ASEAN team." "SINGAPORE - Myanmar needs at least $1 billion over the next three years to help rebuild the lives of survivors of Cyclone Nargis... more -
Myanmar journalist arrested for burying cyclone dead
Aung Kyaw San, editor of the Myanmar Tribune, was arrested on June 15 along with 16 other people who had volunteered to help bury the cyclone dead, Aung Kyaw San, editor of the Myanmar Tribune, was arrested on June 15 along with 16 other people who had volunteered to help bury the ... more
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Burma blocks emergency telecoms
Two teams of foreign aid workers dedicated to delivering emergency telecoms in disaster areas have been forced to leave cyclone-hit Burma.
The members of Telecoms Sans Frontieres (TSF) left the country after attempts to reach affected areas were blocked.
The charity, which described the situation as "unprecedented", said it had no other choice but to leave.
TSF finally reached Burma on 1 June after waiting nearly a month to be granted visas to enter the country.
"The frustration is that we were allowed into the country but not allowed to deploy," TSF spokesman Oisin Walton told BBC News.
Many international charities were allowed into Burma following a visit to the area by UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon.
But repeated attempts to get the necessary authorisation to visit affected areas such as the Irrawaddy Delta, were met with a wall of silence.
"We got no reply at all," said Mr Walton.
Time lags
TSF is a specialist agency which works with the UN to provide communication support to aid agencies and local people. Its presence was requested by Unicef following Cyclone Nargis on 2 May. Two teams of foreign aid workers dedicated to delivering emergency telecoms in disaster areas have been forced to leave cyclone-hit Bu... more -
Burma cyclone: Myanmar warned over forcing survivors home
In the same week that a US official has accused the Myanmar junta of being 'deaf and dumb' to foreign aid pleas, rights groups have urged the regime to stop forcing survivors of the recent cyclone to return to their shattered homes, where they face more misery and perhaps death.
Yesterday saw the junta begin the process of evicting destitute families from state-run disaster relief centres, fearing that the 'tented villages' would become permanent fixtures. In the same week that a US official has accused the Myanmar junta of being 'deaf and dumb' to foreign aid pleas, rights grou... more -
Women’s Underwear Causes Fear Among Myanmar Junta
This is a great post read why:
Apparently, there’s a superstition about female undergarments in Myanmar. The military junta fears any contact with underwear—thongs, bikinis, boy shorts, everything—will unsettle military rulers and cause their downfall. Panties for Peace campaign is urging Canadian women to pick a pair of undies from their drawer, glue a picture or write a message for the junta on them, register them with the organization, and then send them to the Myanmar embassy in Ottawa. Women in Australia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brazil, and other countries across Europe are doing the same, and while this Canadian campaign was just reported on Sify.com, it seems other Panties for Peace initiatives have been going on elsewhere for at least six months. This is a great post read why: ... more -
Suu Kyi's house arrest extended
Burma's ruling junta has renewed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest.
Police earlier detained about 20 activists as they marched to the Nobel Peace Prize laureate's home in Rangoon, where she has been held since May 2003.
The decision came at a tricky time for the generals, who have been criticised for their response to Cyclone Nargis.
Ms Suu Kyi's party won a resounding election victory in 1990, but she was denied power by the military.
The 62-year-old National League for Democracy (NLD) leader has spent more than 12 of the last 18 years in detention.
Police bundled a number of opposition activists into a truck as they marched on Tuesday from the NLD party headquarters to her lakeside villa in Rangoon.
Correspondents had expected her house arrest - which has been renewed annually - to be rolled over for another year.
Her supporters have argued that she must now legally be either released or put on trial.
Extending her detention will likely provoke further criticism of the junta by an international community already frustrated by the military's handling of the relief effort after Cyclone Nargis.
The cyclone, which struck on 2 May, has left 134,000 people dead or missing and another 2.4m clinging to survival, and donors pledged nearly $50m (£25m) in aid at a landmark summit in Rangoon on Sunday.
The regime has been under fire for stalling foreign aid destined for cyclone victims.
Ms Suu Kyi's detention has long been the cause of friction between the junta and the international community.
Her party used the anniversary to denounce the regime's claim that 93% of voters had endorsed a new military-backed constitution at a recent referendum.
It said the vote was a "sham" that was not free or fair, and claimed the authorities "used coercion, intimidated, deceived, misrepresented and used undue influence" to boost the number of "yes" votes.
The party also denounced the regime for holding the referendum so soon after Cyclone Nargis, saying the ruling generals only considered "power politics and self-interest", not public welfare. Burma's ruling junta has renewed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest. ... more -
Burma: junta supremo (AKA Sith Lord of Myanmar) will allow aid into country
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that Myanmar's military government has agreed to let all international disaster assistance into its cyclone-ravaged country.
Ban's announcement came after a crucial two-hour meeting today with the junta's leader, Senior General Than Shwe, the country's most powerful figure.
It's about time ain't it?
Check out an interesting video on this story at the associated link. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that Myanmar's military government has agreed to let all international disaster assis... more -
Burma to let in all Cyclone Nargis aid workers
Military junta's decision could dramatically affect flow of desperately needed aid into devastated country
The UN general secretary, Ban Ki-moon, today hailed a decision by Burma's leadership to allow all aid workers into the country to help the cyclone survivors as a breakthrough.
The U-turn by the military government came during a meeting between the Ban and Burma's leader General Than Shwe in the new capital of Naypidaw.
"I had a good meeting with the senior general, particularly on these aid workers," Ban said. "He has agreed to allow all aid workers regardless of nationalities."
Asked if he believed Shwe, Ban said the Burmese leader had made the statement "in front of many senior generals".
"I urged him that it would be crucially important for him to allow aid workers as swiftly as possible and all these aid relief items also be delivered to the needy people as soon as possible," Ban said after his two-hour meeting at a modern government complex in the foothills of the Shan uplands.
The junta will accept relief flights into Yangon from many countries, including the United States, its fiercest critic.
But it rejected offers of French and American ships delivering aid.
UN officials said the idea that ships should dock was "very sensitive idea for them [the junta]."
But Shwe said Burma was open to receiving relief supplies and equipment from civil ships and small boats.
Three weeks to the day after Cyclone Nargis struck, killing an estimated 134,000 and leaving 2.4 million destitute, the decision could dramatically affect the flow of desperately needed aid into the country.
Aid agencies and the UN have complained bitterly that relief and international disaster management experts needed to cope with such an enormous calamity have been largely kept out by the reclusive regime.
Ban said that three-quarters of those affected by the cyclone in the Irrawaddy delta - the area worst affected - had yet to receive any assistance.
The UN chief's meeting came the day after he inspected the damage in the delta first-hand during a four-hour military helicopter tour.
On his arrival in Naypidaw today, Ban was driven the 30 minutes from the airport along largely deserted streets to the government complex, where he was met by Shwe, dressed in a dark green uniform covered in medals and military decorations.
Observers who witnessed the start of the meeting said Shwe was surrounded by military aides and remained impassive as he greeted Ban.
The breakthrough could see international aid experts staffing logistical hubs in the delta, though there were scant details of the agreement.
Ban had said he also planned to urge the Burmese leader to accept more international helicopters and ships in the disaster zone to bring in shelter, food, water and medical supplies across the region where 60% of the infrastructure was destroyed, greatly hampering the relief effort.
The UN chief offered no details of the concessions he had won. It seemed unlikely that the US ships and helicopters lying just off the coast would have been accepted by the Burmese generals. Military junta's decision could dramatically affect flow of desperately needed aid into devastated country ... more -
Myanmar cyclone: Burma 'to let in all foreign aid workers'
Burma's top leader has agreed to let all foreign aid workers into the country for relief work in cyclone-hit areas. UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon made the announcement after meeting with Gen Than Shwe and 10 other junta officials in Burma's capital. Ban was there for what was called "a last-chance effort" to persuade them to accept much-needed aid and relief experts.
About 78,000 people died and 56,000 are missing after the 2 May cyclone. Ban called Gen Than's decision "a breakthrough."
Yesterday, Burma's junta told Ban that the first phase of relief effort is over. Ban took a "carefully managed tour" of the Irrawaddy delta yesterday to see for himself the damage caused by Cyclone Nargis. It was reported that Ban was taken to a well-managed relief camp, known by locals as a "happy camp." The visit was filmed by state run media, depicting scenes that sharply contrasted the reports from international aid agencies on the ground in Burma that the majority of the 2.4 million affected had yet to receive aid.
The international community remains skeptical about the junta's optimism about relief progress in Burma. Ban Ki-moon said he was "very upset" by what he saw during his tour, and encouraged Burmese not to lose their hope and courage. Burma's top leader has agreed to let all foreign aid workers into the country for relief work in cyclone-hit areas. UN secretary ... more -
Burma junta shows signs of backtracking
After a fortnight of rejecting foreign aid Burma's military dictatorship is showing signs of giving ground after pressure from inside and outside the isolated country.
Outspoken criticism from foreign governments at the junta's neglect of the victims of Cyclone Nargis has combined with a grassroots movement of citizen aid workers to create the most serious challenge to the Government since the democracy protests in September. Convoys of aid organised by Buddhist monks, opposition activists, Burmese companies and actors are underlining the inadequacy of the aid effort mounted by the authorities.
Despite the relentlessly upbeat and sanitised coverage of the disaster in the state media, footage showing the devastation and human suffering inflicted by the storm is being sold covertly. Local aid workers tell stories of members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), a state-run organisation, raging against the indifference of the Government.
“Now's the time for the opposition to organise, while people are feeling so angry,” a Burmese journalist said.
The Burmese junta is one of the most uncompromising dictatorships in the world, confident in the power of its troops to suppress dissent at home. But in the past two days a series of announcements has been made, which seem designed to portray the Government as sensitive.
Twenty-four hours after China made the same gesture for victims of its earthquake, the junta announced three days of mourning. The day before, Than Shwe, the country's Senior General, made his first trip to the Delta to console the victims. He will also receive Ban Ki Moon, the Secretary-General of the UN, on Thursday. Mr Ban will press him to accept more aid under a framework organised by the Association of South-East Asian Nations, of which Burma is a member.
The focus on aid has distracted from politics, particularly from the referendum on a “democratic” constitution, which was held ten days ago. When it was announced that the Government had won an unbelievable 92.4 per cent of the vote it went almost without comment.
“This military Government will never kneel down,” Zarganar, a comedian, who is organising aid convoys, said. “But through all this, the people of the world came to know the character of this Government.” After a fortnight of rejecting foreign aid Burma's military dictatorship is showing signs of giving ground after pressure from in... more -
Myanmar cyclone: Burma to mourn cyclone's victims
Burma's junta has declared three days of official mourning for the victims of Cyclone Nargis, 17 days after the storm struck, state television has announced.
The move came as Burma's closest ally, China, began three days of mourning for its own disaster, the Sichuan quake.
Analysts say Burma's move may indicate it now recognises the scale of the disaster it initially downplayed, and could be more open to outside help.
Earlier, Burma agreed at an emergency summit in Singapore to accept more aid.
Burma's secretive military rulers have been criticised for the slow response to the 2 May disaster, which left about 78,000 dead - more than double the number killed in China's earthquake.
The BBC's South East Asian correspondent Jonathan Head says Burma's junta still seems implacably opposed to using the US, French and British navy helicopters aboard ships anchored just off their coast.
Catalyst for change?
But the firm line they have taken until now, that they can cope without foreign expertise, is softening, he says.
Burmese state television announced that the national flag would be flown at half-mast during the mourning period, beginning on Tuesday.
"Because many people were killed by Cyclone Nargis, we have declared three days of mourning from 20 May to 22, and will lower flags to half-staff starting at 0900 (0230 GMT) on 20 May," the statement said.
The regime has so far allowed only a trickle of aid to reach the 2.4m people estimated to be in desperate need of help.
At a meeting of regional foreign ministers in Singapore on Monday, Burma promised to accept significantly more international aid to help cyclone victims.
Credit: BBC News Burma's junta has declared three days of official mourning for the victims of Cyclone Nargis, 17 days after the storm struck, sta... more -
Myanmar cyclone: starvation warning for Burma children
Thousands of children in Myanmar will starve to death in two to three weeks unless food is rushed to them, an aid agency warned Sunday as an increasingly angry international community pleaded for approval to mount an all-out effort to help cyclone survivors.
The United Nations said Myanmar's isolationist ruling generals were even forbidding the import of communications equipment, hampering already difficult contact among relief agencies.
A U.N. situation report said Saturday that emergency relief from the international community had reached an estimated 500,000 people. But the regime insists it will handle distribution to victims of Cyclone Nargis.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has been unable to sway Myanmar's leaders by telephone, said he was sending U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes to Myanmar this weekend. Thousands of children in Myanmar will starve to death in two to three weeks unless food is rushed to them, an aid agency warned Sunday... more -
Junta rebuffs EU humanitarian Commissioner
The European Union Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Lois Michel has left Burma empty-handed. He failed to convince Burma's military rulers to make any concessions to the international aid effort during his three-day visit.
"I urged the Burmese government to grant more visas and allow more expertise in so that there is a more efficient response to the disaster," the commissioner told journalists. "I stressed that my mission was purely humanitarian and nit in the least political," he added.
The EU envoy went with several key requests: give EU commission staff a thirty day extension to their visas; rapidly process the outstanding visa applications from UN and NGO personnel, of which there is more than 200; grant six-month multi-entry visas to NGOs and UN international aid workers, thereby increasing the number on the ground three-fold; and allow NGO and local staff access to the Irrawaddy Delta without seeking prior permission.
"This would significantly help the international aid effort," he said. "Time is of the essence," he insisted. But the regime took little heed of his appeals.
He also asked for improved air access for planes flying from aboard to land at airports closer to the areas affected by the cyclone to unload aid supplies. The Burmese authorities rejected this appeal on the grounds that Burmese traffic control was incompatible with foreign flights. The international community has recently proposed establishing an air corridor to the affected areas so that some aid flights could by-pass Rangoon airport and deliver the supplies more directly and save time.
Although none of his requests were immediately granted, he remains optimistic that there will be some movement on them in the near future. "I felt they were tempted to react positively but there was a reluctance to co-operate with the international community," he said.
The main problem was that the EU commissioner only met relatively powerless ministers and did not get chance to talk directly to any of the senior members of the junta. The ministers told the envoy candidly that they could take any decisions themselves and had to refer it up, according to a European diplomat travelling with the European delegation.
This was taken to mean only Senior General Than Shwe had the power to make these decisions. "We now know the chain of command and who's at the top," Mr Michel told Mizzima.
Mr Michel also strongly urged the regime to allow him access to the delta during his visit to see the extent of the damage for himself. This they have now arranged, for the day after the envoy had left the country. More than sixty diplomats and heads of UN agencies in Rangoon are being taken to the delta in three helicopters.
"I hope my visit has been useful," the commissioner told journalists in Bangkok on a stop between Rangoon and Brussels. But it seems to have achieved no concrete results. Now the focus is on the UN humanitarian chief John Holmes' visit on Sunday. The European Union Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Lois Michel has left Burma empty-handed. He failed to convince Burma's ... more -
Aid supplies resold in markets, junta issues warning
Burma's military government on Friday warned that it will investigate cases of stealing or hoarding aid supplies for cyclone victims and will punish those found guilty.
The warning, published in the state-run newspaper, comes after reports suggest that several government officials, who are assigned to handle aid supplies, have hoarded the supplies and re-sold them in markets in Rangoon.
The New Light of Myanmar newspaper on Friday called on civilians to inform the authorities if anyone "witnesses or knows that the cash assistance and relief supplies donated to the storm victims are kept for self-interest, traded, used for particular persons and organizations, or misappropriated for other purposes."
"We hereby announce that we have made all necessary arrangements to conduct an investigation into the cases to expose the offenders and take punitive action against them in accordance with the law," the announcement said.
A shop owner in Rangoon division's Kun Chan Kone township, which was severely devastated by the cyclone, said a soldier who brought in aid supplies asked him if he wanted to buy zinc roofs to resell.
"I denied him, because I do not want to put up any aid supplies meant for refugees," the shop owner, who came to Rangoon with an aid worker, told Mizzima.
The shop owner, however, was not able to identify the soldier.
The aid worker, who had just returned from Kun Chan Kone Township, said he had not witnessed any reselling of aid supplies in the markets. But he said he heard from others that aid supplies, including high-energy biscuits, tarpaulin, zinc roofs, and tissue boxes, are for sale.
A Mizzima correspondent in Rangoon said he spotted boxes of tissues with the Red Cross label at the Mingalar Market in Rangoon. Photos were posted on the Mizzima website.
However, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said they have not received any reports of such cases and that they would react 'strongly' if aid supplies were resold.
John Sparrow, spokesman for the IFRC in Bangkok said, "Our aid supplies reach the Myanmar Red Cross society, who directly takes them to the Cyclone affected areas."
"We have not received any reports of re-selling our aid supplies," Sparrow added. Burma's military government on Friday warned that it will investigate cases of stealing or hoarding aid supplies for cyclone vict... more -
French aid ship awaits Myanmar decision
A French navy vessel packed with 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid for cyclone survivors is prepared to wait for "days or weeks" off the coast of Myanmar as the military junta debates whether to accept the goods, the vessel's commander said Saturday.
Le Mistral spent all day Saturday sailing in circles about 22 kilometers (13 miles) outside Myanmar's territorial waters waiting for a green light that did not come.
"We are patrolling in place while waiting for the authorization," Rear Adm. Alain Hinden said by telephone from the ship. "The ship itself can stay here for days or weeks" if needed, he added.
The French government is hoping it doesn't take that long.
France's U.N. ambassador, Jean-Maurice Ripert, criticized Myanmar's military junta Friday, saying the government's refusal to allow aid to be delivered to people in need "could lead to a true crime against humanity."
The official death toll from Cyclone Nargis has soared to 78,000 with about 56,000 missing. Aid groups say the death toll alone is probably about 128,000, with many more deaths possible from disease and starvation unless help gets quickly to some 2.5 million survivors of the May 2-3 disaster.
Despite having few means to deliver aid quickly and efficiently, the isolationist military government insists it does not want international aid groups to manage relief operations in the desperately poor country.
Le Mistral is carrying 1,000 tons of materials, including food, water, cooking utensils, tents and basic medicines. Its 400 tons of rice is enough to feed 100,000 people for 15 days, the French Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Negotiations between the two countries began about 10 days ago, shortly after the cyclone struck, Hinden said. A French navy vessel packed with 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid for cyclone survivors is prepared to wait for "days or weeks"... more -
Myanmar: many Burmese attribute cyclone to karma
About 80 percent of Burma's estimated 52 million people are Buddhist, and many there rely on the principle of karma to explain the storm. Many of Burma's people believe cyclone Nargis is a karmic consequence of its military rulers' brutal crackdown on Buddhist monks last year.
The word "karma" is often misunderstood by Westerners as one's inescapable destiny, scholars say. In Sanskrit, the word means "action" and refers to the act that creates one's fate, not fate itself. For Buddhists, particularly those in Southeast Asia, karma regulates morality as firmly as Newton's law rules motion: to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. About 80 percent of Burma's estimated 52 million people are Buddhist, and many there rely on the principle of karma to explain th... more -
Myanmar junta insists aid effort running smoothly
Myanmar's military government said on Thursday its cyclone relief effort was moving along swiftly even as foreign powers warned of starvation and disease among up to 2.5 million people left destitute by the storm.
The European Union's top aid official met government ministers in Yangon and urged them to allow in foreign aid workers and essential equipment to prevent more deaths. But his trip did not yield any breakthroughs.
"You know, relations between Myanmar and the international community are difficult," Louis Michel told Reuters. "But that is not my problem."
"The time is not for political discussion. It's time to deliver aid to save lives."
Earlier, the reclusive generals signaled they would not budge.
"We have already finished our first phase of emergency relief. We are going onto the second phase, the rebuilding stage," state television quoted Prime Minister Thein Sein as telling his Thai counterpart this week.
Separately, the junta announced an overwhelming vote in favor of an army-backed constitution in a referendum held after the cyclone despite calls for a delay in the light of the disaster.
Nearly two weeks after the storm tore through the heavily populated Irrawaddy delta rice bowl -- leaving up to 128,000 people dead -- supplies of food, medicine and temporary shelter have been sent in dribs and drabs to devastated communities. Myanmar's military government said on Thursday its cyclone relief effort was moving along swiftly even as foreign powers warned o... more -
Myanmar cyclone: Survivors may be sent to labour camp - Telegraph
Survivors of the Burma cyclone are being forced into government camps amid fears they will be used as forced labour.
The ruling military junta has forcibly relocated tens of thousands of survivors from the Irrawaddy delta following the devastation of Cyclone Nargis on May 2.
Many who had sought shelter in Buddhist monasteries – the centre of unrest during protests against the junta last year – are also being moved into government camps.
Ko Hla Min, a 35-year-old farmer who lost nine relatives in the storm, said that those rounded up by soldiers around the devastated town of Bogalay were being used as forced labour.
“They have to break stones at the construction sites. They are paid $1 per day but are not provided with any food,” he said.
Meanwhile, a senior UN official told The Daily Telegraph that he feared other survivors will shortly be moved back to the delta and used by the junta to plant the next rice crop in the coming weeks.
About 80,000 people had sought sanctuary in schools and temples in the delta town of Labutta, which was left in ruins after the cyclone struck nearly two weeks ago, they said.
Now, only about 20,000 remain in their care at 50 monasteries in Labutta, after the military moved them to camps.
With an official toll of 66,000 dead or missing and another two million in dire need of emergency aid, the government again rejected calls to accept foreign relief workers needed to quickly deliver food, water, shelter and medicine. The Red Cross estimates the real death toll to be closer to 128,000.
Foreign Office minister Lord Malloch-Brown yesterday the most senior members of Burma’s military government of turning a “deaf ear” to the plight of their subjects.
“From the top level of government, there is a sense that there is a complete deaf ear, that [ruling general] Than Shwe is not hearing the seriousness of the crisis and the regime has set its back against the need to accept outside help.”
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that the United Nations was to organise an emergency summit in Asia to discuss the disaster.
The reports came as the Burmese regime announced an overwhelming endorsement of its new constitution in the referendum held last weekend.
State radio claimed that 92.4 per cent of voters in a 99 per cent turn out voted “yes”, although rights groups and dissidents earlier reported a low turnout and extensive irregularities. At some polling stations officials voted “yes” on behalf of anyone who had not appeared by 1pm. Campaigning against the constitution was punishable with jail. Survivors of the Burma cyclone are being forced into government camps amid fears they will be used as forced labour. ... more -
Mockery of human tragedy; relief supplies on sale
The Burmese military junta is instrumental in making a mockery of human tragedy. Over 100,000 lives were lost and two million rendered homeless by cyclone Nargis and yet relief material donated by the international community and aid agencies have found their way into the markets. Such is the scale of corruption in Burma.
Local residents said they saw foreign made biscuits, dried meat, instant noodles, tarpaulins and plastic sheets on sale in Nyaunpinlay market, Mingalar market, Bogale market, Theingyi market and other markets in Rangoon.
"I bought biscuits with labels like CNE (green), MCS, PMUS, DIS, IT --- brands made in Thailand, Japan and China, and ready to eat meat, instant noodles that I have never found in these markets before," a man who bought the stuff from Bogale market told Mizzima.
Another local resident said that the biscuits put on sale in the market are the same as the ones distributed to cyclone victims on May 11 in South Dagon Township by the local authority.
The Mizzima correspondent in Rangoon said tissue packets with Red Cross labels were seen in a store in Mingalar market.
Another local resident in Rangoon said he saw army trucks from the Navy Supplies Depot, in Mingaladon, Syriam and Labutta bringing the relief materials to the markets.
"I found the same biscuits in the Nyaungpinlay market and the shopkeeper was shouting -- 'foreign biscuits available'," he said.
Similarly, he said he saw foodstuff, part of the relief supplies, at the residence of his friend who works at the airport.
"When I visited my friend's house on Tuesday, I saw a dozen tins of sardines and about five packets of biscuits in his home. When I asked him, he said he got it from his work place."
An aid worker expressing concern told Mizzima that relief supplies donated for the cyclone victims are on sale in Rangoon markets.
"The aid workers have got photographic evidence of these supplies being put on sale in the markets. The rice sacks and condensed milk tins with 'World Food Program' (WFP) logos and Japanese flags are on sale," said the aid worker.
The aid worker added that mosquito nets with (UNH) logos were also spotted at the corner of Bar Street, in Rangoon. Instant noodles are being sold at Kyat 600 per sachet as the price tag in Nyaungpinlay market. Moreover US made makeshift tents designed for patients are available at Kyat. 87,000 per unit in Mingaladon market, the aid worker rued.
But, Paul Risley of the World Food Program said the organization has not received any reports regarding the aid materials being sold in the markets instead of being distributed among cyclone victims. The Burmese military junta is instrumental in making a mockery of human tragedy. Over 100,000 lives were lost and two million rendered... more
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Military Junta
