Burma (aka Myanmar)

[Guest]

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[Soriak]

I'm sure everyone has heard of the natural catastrophe in Burma. Knowing the kind hearts who frequent this board, I just wanted to post a quick warning in case you're considering donating anything.

Burma's government was toppled by a military junta in 1989, which changed the country's name to Myanmar (a name that many countries still don't recognize).

Aid workers from around the world deployed immediately to the region last week to render assistance. However, the junta insisted on its visa requirements and made it very difficult or even impossible for aid workers to get into the country.

This morning, they seized the supplies and equipment that the UN managed to deliver so far. (They still make it hard for planes to get to the country) Following that, the UN has canceled all further aid to them. The Burma consulates are soon closing for the weekend - surely we can't expect them to work on a weekend...

Estimates now predict this may lead to as many as 100,000 deaths because food and water cannot be delivered to them. The whole subject is just unbelievable and infuriating.

The article in the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/world/asia/10myanmar.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[Jan & John]

AVAAZ.org has a plea from the International Burmese Monks Organization - who say they can get the money directly to their people on the ground...https://secure.avaaz.org/en/burma_cyclone/15.php/?cl=87764301

I tend to donate to the Red Cross International Disaster Fund - they have people already at work and can prioritize better than I what to do with my donation...https://www.paypaq.com/redcross/new/index.php

jan

[mejane]

Soriak,
Thank you very much for this information.  It is truly sad when humanitarian efforts are blocked to give even basic help/food/water/shelter to victims of a natural catastrophe.   I very much appreciate knowing the "story behind the story."
   Jane

[Jan & John]

I just received an email from the UNHRC - they are pulling from stockpiles in Thailand and Dubai normally used for 9 existing refugee locations. 
quote from the email... "UNHCR already has 70 staff in Myanmar who are assisting with the emergency response. Plastic sheeting and canned food has already been distributed to cyclone victims in Yangon.

UNHCR has also been appointed as the lead agency for the UN emergency shelter response and is appealing for funds to support distribution of shelter kits to the 140,000 households so far estimated to be left homeless by the disaster. The shelter kits include tents, plastic tarps, bamboo, rope, wire, blankets, stoves, kitchen sets, jerry cans, soap, mosquito nets and sanitary napkins." unquote.

Their website has more info... http://www.unhcr.ca/myanmar/2008-05-09.htm
quote: "UNHCR is focusing on emergency shelter as part of joint UN efforts in cyclone-hit Myanmar. In the UN Flash Appeal, which was scheduled to be launched later Friday in New York, the refugee agency will ask donors for US$6 million to meet the immediate shelter and household needs of 250,000 victims of the disaster. In the meantime, UNHCR is releasing funds from its own reserves.

UNHCR has around 70 staff working in Myanmar, mainly in the north-west of the country in North Rakhine state, some of whom are being deployed to help with the cyclone relief effort." unquote

I pray for strength for all those working to ease the suffering. jan

[Sengbe Pieh]

Thanks Soriak for the post.                                                                                                                                                       

The consulates may be closing for a three day holiday (BBC World News) but Than Shwe's military junta is going ahead with the constitutional referendum in most of the country tomorrow (Saturday, May 10). http://news.smh.com.au/burma-crisis-casts-pall-over-referendum/20080510-2csj.html                                                               

The military in Burma could care less about the Burmese people, they only exist to consolidate their power. They will use this natural disaster as another opportunity to suppress opposition and kill & terrorize their opponents. Besides the fact that they have kept Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for the greater part of the last 18 years (whose National League for Democracy party won the 1990 general election), they have also been waging a war against ethnic minorities in Eastern Burma since 1995.                                       

"Eastern Burma is Asia’s worst Internally Displaced People (IDP) crisis zone, with over half a million people on the run from the military dictatorship’s vicious attacks and ethnic cleansing. Burma’s ethnic nationality areas around the country are all subject to the military dictatorship’s attacks and abuses".

"The situation in Eastern Burma, however, is particularly dire: the armed conflict raging in Eastern Burma is the world’s longest currently-running conflict. The military has destroyed over 3200 villages, and Eastern Burma is now the world’s most heavily mined region. In 2006 alone, 82,000 people fled from or were forced from their homes to become IDPs in Eastern Burma, now living in camps guarded by ethnic resistance armies, barely surviving. These people have fled direct attacks aimed at ethnically cleansing resource-rich areas and consolidating the military dictatorship’s control over the entire country. The military uses tactics such as rape, forced labor, abducting children to be soldiers, torture and executions to instill their reign of terror over eastern Burma."       

More information is available at the US Campaign for Burma website:                                                                     

http://uscampaignforburma.org/learn-about-burma   and     http://uscampaignforburma.org/category/news                                 

Personally, I am disgusted & outraged that the world will once again stand by and allow innocent civilians to be murdered when it is absolutely preventable.  The UN should take the advice of French foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, who says that the United Nations should invoke its “responsibility to protect” civilians as the basis for a resolution to allow the delivery of international aid even without the junta’s permission.  Kouchner  established the organization Médecins Sans Frontières 37 years ago.

[KivanSteven]

This info relates to Burma and a multitude of countries that go unnamed, but watching a Congressional speech on C-span I heard the following statistics:

- it is the 6th straight year that the world has seen a reduction in global press freedom
- 82% of people are devoid of complete free access to information
- 18 journalists were murdered in Russia during Putin's presidency

The paranoia about the press and the internet really has to do with the influence that information has on a people--and of course the govt wants to be that sole influence.  Its incredibly sad that the Burmese military's control comes at the price of what's best for their people.  If America's founding fathers failed to include some of the freedoms we enjoy, its hard to say what the govts stance here might be today.  We wouldnt necessarily have any sort of free press or free speech tradition to satisfy and adhere to.  Thankfully we do, and for the most part it keeps our leaders in check.

[Patricia SF]

Several months ago, a Burmese friend gave me a book to read about her homeland titled:  "Finding George Orwell in Burma"; author is Emma Larkin.  After following the "Saffron Revolution" staged by the courageous monks last year, I can't bring myself to read this book; it would bring me to unstoppable tears once again.

I did donate to Avaaz.org a few days ago after talking to one of their staff.  He tried to assure me that the money would reach the people without the Junta's knowlege.  I'm still not clear on how this can be possible, but I wanted and had to do something to help these people.

Patricia

[Tatiana]

Realy heartbreaking and incredibly sad, the situation in Burma.

Over 80% of mangrove forests in Burma have been cut. Mangrove forests serve as a natural buffer so it is very well possible that many more people could have suvived if the mangrove forests were still there:

See this news article by mangroveactionproject.org

[KivanSteven]

The Burmese military regime has always been about weakening their population in order to better secure and strengthen their grip on power.  Its no wonder and no surprise that they are frustrating efforts at assistance and allowing their people to suffer because of that.

[Sengbe Pieh]

U. S. Campaign for Burma!