By Yebaw Nyein
Translated by Burmese Bloggers w/o Borders
[Source in Burmese - komoethee blog]
SPDC does not dare to accept the help from the international community and US for the victims of Nargis cyclone.
SPDC is being a coward by doing that. Moreover, there seems to be some other underlying reasons as to why SPDC dares not accept the offer of help from George W. Bush.
If they accepted help from US, the US military would send its troops to carry out rescue missions in Burma. And the timing for all these actions would coincide with the voting of referendum.
If the Burmese people were to feel a glimmer of hope in the presence of the US military in Burma, SPDC feared that the people would become daring enough to protest against the repressions. If such were to happen, SPDC definitely would be cornered by the people as well as by the presence of US military in Burma. They would no longer be able to carry out their brutal acts of suppressions against the people. As such, their control over Burma would be shaken. Knowing this, SPDC hesitates to allow US to enter Burma to provide humanitarian aid to the victims.
Even after Burma has been hit badly by Cyclone Nargis, which happens to be on the scale of worst natural disaster in South-East since four years ago, SPDC seems to be taking things lightly and keeps on putting their emphasis on persuading the people to vote for them in the referendum.
On the other hand, SPDC is also making use of the people’s sympathy for the victims to divert their attention from SPDC’s underhand means of getting votes in the upcoming referendum. Hence, we, Burmese people, should also be aware of such SPDC’s attempts to manipulate the current situations for innocent victims in Burma to their advantage.
This is simply my two cents’ worth of analysis. I am sure that SPDC and its followers would have done a much more thorough planning on this.
Lastly, I would like to ask and urge SPDC with the following:
If you are not cowards who wear the military uniforms just for show, you should also dare to accept the help from the international community and US.
Will SPDC show their courage for the sake of people?
08 May 2008 Labels: Essays
WHO IS REAL CHICKEN ?
Labels: String of Thoughts[Source]
Than Shwe and SPDC insulted and spat on US president Gorge W. Bush’s face and challenged the whole United States and its sympathy by denying US ‘s humanitarian offer for the victims. Apparently, over 600,000 human lives have been wasted by deadly typhoon and the lives of survivors are still at stake.
Will the US president George W. Bush ignore Than Shwe’s bitter insult and just wipe off the spit on his face and walk away or else ?
by Ko Hmway
‘We are being Prevented from Talking about Burma at UNSC’: French Ambassador
Labels: EssaysFrom the Irrawaddy:
China and Russia—the two permanent members of the UN Security Council that regularly veto resolutions on Burma—on Wednesday blocked a French move to initiate a discussion on the current humanitarian crisis in Burma following the devastating cyclone last week that killed tens of thousands of people.
On Wednesday morning, Ripert [the French ambassador to the UN] requested a meeting of the Security Council on the subject of Burma and a briefing on the issue from John Holmes, the Emergency Relief Coordinator of the United Nations and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.
The French ambassador wants the security council to have a briefing from Holmes because the Burmese government hasn't issued visas for many relief workers who are waiting in Bangkok in neighboring Thailand.
As always, China and Russia vetoed the move. Shame on them!
If you have a choice, please do not buy Chinese products. The Chinese leaders like to dance with wolves and their businesses would do anything to gain profits.
600,000 killed, 100,000 missing in Burma
Labels: NewsInterview with one official
According undisclosed interview with one government official, death toll is reaching 600,000 so far and 100,000 still missing.According his figure, 180,000 killed only Lutbutta township. 90,000 in Phyar Pone Township , 80,000 in Bogalay Township. 50,000 each in KywanGanKone , DayDaYae and MawKyane Township.Authorities ( army and its thugs USDA) are throwing away dead bodies to the nearby river.Even in Ye Way Cemetery in Yangon City, dead bodies are cremated in batch without proper identification.Emphasizing to Phyar Pone Township, authority declare Emergency Act and deter not to go out at night but then they are dumping dead bodies to the river.
Weak planning and slow decision making
Labels: EssaysWeather Forecast from the Burmese official newspaper (Photo
taken from
Khin Min Zaw's blog)
The above warning on April 29 in the state-owned newspaper said the storm would not be devastating and the wind would be only 40-45 miles per hour.
Mungpi from Mizzima reported:
Though Burma's Meteorology and Hydrology department posted a warning on its official website on April 27, the information was not widely disseminated. The department said that a cyclone was forming in the Bay of Bengal and was heading towards Burma.
State-run media did not issue a cyclone alert until the afternoon of Friday, May 2. The storm first struck the Irrawaddy Delta in late afternoon Friday and swept into Rangoon early Saturday.
Many Rangoon residents said they missed the announcement, broadcast on state-run TV and radio, which usually runs state propaganda.
If Rangoon residents missed the announcement, the worst hit delta residents would not even get wind of it. Here is Mungpi's report again:"Though my daughters said they knew about the announcement, I was not aware of the cyclone because I am not interested in watching TV, and there was no public announcement in the locality," said a Rangoon resident whose house was smashed by a falling tree.
A leading Thai meteorological expert said the failure to issue a timely warning may have costs thousands of innocent lives.
Dr. Smith Dharmasaroja, chairman of Thailand's National Disaster Warning Centre, said the Burmese government's response was insufficient.
"The government must issue an early warning and send teams to evacuate villagers in the disaster-prone zones as a preparation for the cyclone," Dr. Smith told Mizzima.
Dr. Smith famously predicted that a tsunami would strike Thailand long before the deadly Indian Ocean waves of December 2004, but was widely ignored.
While it is important for the government to issue an announcement, the warnings must be properly disseminated, Dr. Smith said. The authorities must also take precautionary steps, including relocating villagers in the path of the predicted cyclone to higher ground.
The Burmese officials ignored warnings from Indian Meteorology Department and Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) (McCartan, 2008). On a side note, Thai government also ignores Tsunami warning in 2004. (This shows how ASEAN governments do not give planning and decision-making powers to the officials in the field and do not care about the poor and weak).
As of the latest situations, Burmese government is very slow in issuing visas for relief workers (Denby, 2008). They are working at a snail space while people will be left to struggle on their own in the delta areas in Burma.
Holmes [the emergency relief coordinator of the United Nations and under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs] said that during discussions with Burmese officials, the explanation given for the delay in issuing visas was that it was a question that needed to be decided by higher authorities. (Jha, 2008)
I am sure the officials are covering their asses waiting for the decisions from "higher authorities" at the expense of suffering victims who need help right now.
Source:
Denby, K. (2008, May 7). Burma junta drags its feet over visas for aid workers as cyclone victims suffer. The Times Online. Retrieved May 8, 2008 from http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3887278.ece
Jha, L.K. (2008, May 8). UN Frustrated over Visa, Custom Delays The Irrawaddy. Retrieved May 8, 2008 from http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=11837
McCartan, B. (2008, May 7). Myanmar courts political disaster The Asia Times Online. Retrieved May 8, 2008 from http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JE08Ae01.html
Mungpi. (2008, May 6). Burma knew of cyclone nearly a week before it hit. The Mizzima. Retrieved May 7, 2008 from http://www.mizzima.com/nargis-impact/18-nargis-impact/445--burma-knew-of-cyclone-nearly-a-week-before-it-hit
do not need to wait regime's consent
Labels: EssaysNothing left to loss....
Cyclone Nargis hit our country without mercy. It swept off ten of thousands of lives. It even blew away more than 30 villages to the ocean.
We hope that Nargis would be the last thing, rip down Burmese people, who have already been suffered by irresponsive regime for more than three decades. They live their daily life in all and every way of negative sentiments; worry, fear, loss and hatred of course. Seldom to heard of human right in Burma. Social crisis is in everywhere. No human right. No electricity. No good education. No law and order.( Regime can turn it around)
Crisis of crises
Now again, natural disaster pushes Burma to be in ever deepening crisis. Cyclone is coming but not enough warning and evacuation plan. State run media even announced that Cyclone is getting weaker and no need to worry. What's a reckless research data and forecast? People are dying but where is relief efforts. Civilians and monks come down to street and clean the mess, cut the trees. Authority send handful of uniform people on the street without any tools and machine. Road access needs to clear urgently. But where is heavy machinery. It shows very clear that regime is absolutely lack of management skills. Even worse that they took their own picture and propagated in State run TV. What's an inhumane act to take credit in the midst of devastating?
DIY aids
People really don't care about them. They don't rely on them either. People are now giving hands to hands to cope such a horrible aftermath. They manage to use hand held power generator to get water. They share foods. And some oversea Burmese around the world sending money and materials to effected area. But authorities deter not to go direct and ask the things into their hand. It can't find any sensible reason upon that. It indicates that so-called authorities are as stupid as that.
SOS
Time to time, death toll is rising in delta region and likely to rise up ot 100,000. Obvious that it is state of emergency and international community has offered to give relief aids but yet to get clear permission from authorities. Hundreds of international staffs are still waiting to get visa. What regimes waiting for? What makes them difficult?
People are in desperate and frustrate for regimes slow action. While regimes making meeting and thinking and planning, people in delta area are suffering unprecedented consequence, like epidermic, sanitation and drinking water problem. Now international health experts warns that if they can't manage to remove dead bodies and cremate properly, there will be substantial problem in the whole region. Today France foreign minister Kouchner reminds United Nations' "responsibility to protect" that aids should be imposes as soon as possible without consent from authorities even if this meant intervention.
Yes. We are welcome his comments and initiation. International communities do not need to wait for regime answers, please listen to the cries of people.
UNICEF and Direct Relief accepting donations through Google.
07 May 2008 Labels: NewsUNICEF and Direct Relief accepting donations through Google.
http://www.google.com/myanmarcyclone/