Thread: Burmese Weekly : Vol 25 , WE Sun 18th May '08

Kyonmange resident says over 30 nearby villages destroyed


May 11, 2008 (DVB)—More than 30 villages west of Labutta township, near Wakema and Kyonmange in Irrawaddy division, were reportedly destroyed by the recent cyclone, several of them completely swept away.

A resident of Kyonmange who is helping the cyclone victims taking refuge there said Thabauk village and its inhabitants had been completely wiped out.

Local authorities have not provided any help to cyclone victims in Kyonmange, and on 5 May, a deputy in charge of Wakema township administration ordered local officials in Kyonmange to remove the cyclone victims, who are facing serious problems through lack of food, clothing, and shelter.

The Kyonmange resident told DVB that the authorities had not helped clear the bodies of those who died in the cyclone.

snip

english.dvb.no


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QUOTE OF THE DAY



The authorities [of Burma] need to open up to an international relief effort. There aren't enough boats, trucks, helicopters in the country to run the relief effort of the scale we need.
—Richard Horsey, a spokesman for UN humanitarian operations

irrawaddy.org


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First US relief airlift arrives in Myanmar
May 12, 2008 at 4:52 AM EDT
Associated Press

RANGOON, MYANMAR — The first U.S. relief airlift has arrived in Myanmar carrying emergency supplies for last week's cyclone victims.

A military C-130 cargo plane left a Thai air force base Monday and landed in Myanmar's biggest city Rangoon. Two more air shipments scheduled to land Tuesday.

After the plane's arrival, the supplies were transferred to Myanmar army trucks.

Allowing the U.S. flight is a huge concession by Myanmar's military government, which sees Washington as its enemy.

snip

theglobeandmail.com

mid :

Allowing the U.S. flight is a huge concession by Myanmar's military government, which sees Washington as its enemy.

Cry me a river FOOLS , enemies don't deliver aid


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Generals consult the stars as public urged to dig deep
Monday, 12 May 2008

The General refusing to allow foreign teams to enter Burma to help stop the cyclone death toll hitting 1.5 million is being advised by astrologers, it emerged today.

General Than Shwe this morning finally allowed one US military aid flight carrying water, mosquito nets and blankets to leave Thailand for Burma - but he continues to refuse foreign logistics teams, including those from the UN.

And today, reports into the ultra-secretive military government suggested the general is advised by a Buddhist nun and astrologer called E Thi.

Aid agencies were already despairing that Than Shwe’s secrecy and apparently unsympathetic approach to the deaths of at least 225,000 of his people was hampering donations.

The revelations about his astrologer are likely to make matters worse.

E Thi is said to have told Shwe to move his government from Rangoon to Naypyidaw, 200 miles away in 2005 and the general is convinced the plan saved him from the devastation caused by cyclone Nargis.

One aid worker in Rangoon said "Hundreds of people are dying while Shwe looks to the stars before making his next move. It is utter madness. The international community must act before this dire situation becomes a full-blown holocaust."
(mid : highlight mine )

snip

thelondonpaper.com


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Myanmar says parts of nation still cut off
05-11-2008
YANGON (AFP)


Survivors of the deadly cyclone Nargis work on a roof near the Pyapon river in the southern delta hardest hit by cyclone Nargis on May 11. Parts of Myanmar are still cut off 10 days after its devastating cyclone, the military regime said Monday, ahead of the first aid flight from the United States -- one of its most vocal critics.
(AFP)

snip

turkishpress.com


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French medical aid shipment for cyclone victims reaches Myanmar's capital
2008-05-12

PARIS (AP) - A plane carrying 22 tons of medical and other aid from a French aid group for cyclone victims has arrived in Myanmar's capital.

Medecins du Monde says the material includes emergency first aid kits for 20,000 people and medicines to treat malaria and diarrhea.

The group says the aid will be sent to towns south of Yangon. Medecins du Monde workers will also travel to the Irrawaddy delta to evaluate humanitarian needs there.

snip

pr-inside.com


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Frontline podcast - Myanmar: Existing projects were major advantage in the first days' response
Information dated 12.05.2008

Juli Niebuhr is MSF Deputy Country Manager in Myanmar. She describes the situation in storm-affected areas as desperate.

snip

"The scale of this - the size of this - is enormous and the number of injured, dead and missing people are increasing; the official figures are increasing by the day. It is a big area that has been hit and the impact of the storm has been enormous. Like I said, whole villages have been wiped away and the less-affected areas, as we call them where we work now, have 80 to 90 percent of their buildings destroyed.

"Thousand s of people in Yangon have been badly affected by the storm as well. There is still no electricity. There is bad communication. Shops are closed. There is not enough food and many people have been made homeless by the storm or their houses have been damaged so badly that they are staying in temporary shelter.

"I think a lot of people are still in shock. People are trying to deal with it with whatever small means they have.

snip

msf.org


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U.S. helicopters cause stir in Thai town on Burma border
Mon 12 May 2008
By Christopher Johnson

In Mae Sot, home to many Burmese exiles and refugees, two helicopters stopped unannounced during a survey of the area

Mae Sot, Thailand -In this border town known as "Little Burma," thousands of Burmese exiles and refugees were excited when they saw a US helicopter flying above them on Saturday, within view of Burmese soldiers staging a referendum across the Moei River.

"All the Burmese looked up at the sky in hope," said Myo Khin, a Burmese trader who just found out from his sister that their relatives were lost in their hometown of Lapputa in the Irrawaddy delta. "Only America and the foreign countries can save Burma now."

Local excitement grew on Sunday as another US helicopter flew into Mae Sot's tiny airport, which stopped serving commercial flights last year. The airstrip is just 1.5 miles from the Friendship Bridge to the Burmese town of Myawaddy.

Their sighting jibes with reports that the US has moved ships and aircraft into position to support a humanitarian mission in the country.

A trip Sunday afternoon to the airport found eight US crewmen in uniforms pumping fuel from one US helicopter, inscribed with "24 Marines" on the body and "EP" on the tail, to another US helicopter, labeled "25 Marines."

"They were here on a survey of the area, and they ran out of gas," explained a Thai airport official in the lobby. "One crew had to wait here overnight for another helicopter to come today and bring them gas."

snip

dannai.civiblog.org

See Also : https://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-asi...tml#post622294


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Junta rewards nursing student for supporting referendum
Monday, 12 May 2008

A seemingly grateful Burmese ruling junta rewarded students of the Nursing and Midwife School with a token amount of money and bread in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, northern Burma yesterday, said school sources.

Sources close to the school said, all students were given 500 Kyat and a piece of bread for supporting the referendum to approve the draft constitution on May 10 by U Dai Hu, the head organizer of the junta-sponsored Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) in Du Kahtawng quarter where the school is situated.

snip

kachinnews.com

mid : 500 Kyat and a piece of bread .......

EXCHANGE RATES
1 US = 1155 kyat
1 BT = 35.71 kyat
May 12, 2008

irrawaddy.org


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Cholera and asthma cases increasing among Cyclone victims
Mungpi
Monday, 12 May 2008 15:42

New Delhi - Cases of cholera and asthma are increasing among victims and survivors of Cyclone Nargis, said an aid worker in Rangoon who visited the Irrawaddy Delta.

The aid worker, who request anonymity, said several cyclone victims, mostly children, are beginning to suffer from cholera after drinking contaminated water.

"Since aid is not reaching as it should be, villagers are forced to use the water which is contaminated by dead bodies," the aid worker said.

The aid worker said the refugees are also beginning to suffer from asthma.

"Though people know that the water is contaminated, they have no choice but to use it, and they start having diseases," said the aid worker, who had just returned from Laputta town, one of the hardest-hit by the cyclone.

He said that while a few people have been grouped in refugee camps, many people still not yet made it to refugee camps.

snip

mizzima.com


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85

Burma aid increasing as casualties rise
13 April, 2008


UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed his "immense frustration" at Burma's slow response to the cyclone.

The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, has said he is immensely frustrated at what he called the unacceptably slow delivery of aid to the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Burma.

Mr Ban also warned that an outbreak of infectious diseases could dwarf the current crisis, unless more aid got into the country very quickly.

snip

bbc.co.uk


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Aid for cyclone victims sold in Rangoon
Reporting by DVB

May 12, 2008 (DVB)–Noodle packets, cans of condensed milk and mosquito nets intended for Cyclone Nargis victims are being sold openly in the streets and markets of Rangoon, a local resident told DVB.

The Rangoon resident said people had been surprised to see provisions designated for flood victims being sold in the shops.

"I saw dry noodle packets, condensed milk tins and mosquito nets from rescue efforts in downtown. They are selling noodle packets at Nyaungpinlay Market for 600 [kyat] a packet, and tins of condensed milk too," the resident said.

snip

The resident said there had been no assistance from the authorities so locals had to tackle the problem themselves.

"Local people have to come and cleared [the roads] and the water is gone again now," he said.

"We are doing things on our own initiative. No one is coming to help us."

english.dvb.no


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Seven residents arrested
Mon 12 May 2008
Mon Son, Rai Maraoh

Seven residents of Mudon Township, Mon State were arrested by the police while the Burmese military junta was holding the referendum on Saturday.

Seven people hurled stones at a car carrying junta officials when it was going around Mudon Township, Mon State telling people to vote "Yes", said Nai Htwe, a Mudon resident.

Nai Htwe said that "People hated the sight of the authorities in the car; therefore they throw stones. Now they are under detention."

snip



NMSP will not recognize constitutional referendum
Mon 12 May 2008
By Loa Htaw, IMNA

The Burmese ethnic ceasefire group the New Mon State Party (NMSP) will not recognize the government's constitutional referendum which was neither free nor fair, said the NMSP a day after the junta held the referendum.

snip

monnews-imna.com


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QUOTE OF THE DAY



If the intransigence of the Burmese generals continues, it is a very real issue whether in the name of humanity some international action should be taken against their will—like military air drops, or supplies being landed from ships offshore—to get aid to the huge numbers who desperately need it right now.
—Gareth Evans, president of International Crisis Group

irrawaddy.org


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Zarganar discusses film industry support for cyclone victims


daylife.com

May 12, 2008 (DVB)-High-profile comedian Zarganar and other celebrities have been reaching out to people affected by the recent cyclone with donations of food, medicines and other basic supplies.

Zarganar spoke to DVB yesterday about the film industry's efforts to assist victims of Cyclone Nargis in Rangoon.

DVB: Could you explain how artists are helping the storm victims?

"First we got together all our friends from the film world. We wanted help to reach out to the people [but] we had difficulties getting rice, medicines, salt…. As we all wanted to get these things to the people, we wanted to do whatever we could. So Lu Min, Lwin Moe, Nay Toe, Eindra Kyaw Zin and May Than Nu all participated. Gradually we are getting there. Wai Lut Kyaw has been distributing it with his own car. He went to Koonchangone, Dala, Twante, Bogalay, Laputa…As we get to know each other gradually, people are becoming united. People who can afford it give rice, medicines and so on … a medical company came to give dermatological medicines. Film people are gathered on 35th Street [in Rangoon], the donation centre. Meanwhile, day labourers in the film community are finding it hard to survive. They only get 2000 to 3000 a day, in Burmese currency. These people have no rice to eat. They have no job. It's stopped. They don't even have the money for transport fares. These people are in trouble and we gave them rice, medicines, oil, rice and clothing this morning."

snip

DVB: What is, in your opinion, the best way to give help effectively?

"The best thing to do is what we are doing now. For the time being, I have to say that this is the best way. We are putting it in their hands. We boil rice gruel in big pots, then we add dried fish and oil and feed them. And we also give them clothes, medicines, money, beans and dried fish in a packet, right in their hands…if you do things with artists like us there is less harassment - that's our advantage."

DVB: Is there anything else you want to say?

"The other point to mention is that people who were not affected by the storm and the rains also are donating. I'm collecting things donated by people from Mandalay, and other people throughout the country are also donating."

DVB: What is the official Motion Picture Association doing now?

"As far as I know, they are still painting the ground floor of their office which was flooded."

DVB: Are they helping the victims?

"Heh heh, they have just been painting their office. I haven't seen any of them helping anyone."

DVB: What have you seen the government do to help the victims?

"When we were there we didn't see them do anything except clear the roads. We never saw them giving medicines or food to the people."

DVB: What do you have to say about the referendum?

"As they had already declared, they pushed ahead with it. I have nothing to say about it. We are prioritising our efforts for those who are in trouble here…I don't even want to talk about it."

english.dvb.no


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This type of vintage double decker boats which take 12 hours to reach 150 miles are used by Burmese Government to distribute emergency supply!

Photo: Burma Sitmone

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Myanmar PM sends letter to Thai Premier
12 May 2008

Spokesman of the Prime Minister's Office Police Lieutenant General Vichianchote Sukchotirat (วิเชียรโชติ สุกโชติรัตน์)revealed to the press that the Prime Minister of the Union of Myanmar has sent an address to Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej. The letter expressed the gratitude of Myanmar towards the concern and aid of Their Majesties the King and Queen as well as the entire Royal Family which donated Red Cross relief kits to those afflicted by Cyclone Nargis.

The address continued to state that Myanmar is ready to receive more relief kits and is open to aid from all countries that wish to contribute, thus asking Thailand help to counter information from ill-wishing foreign embassies stating otherwise.

Myanmar is preparing to receive C 130 aircraft from the United States today and tomorrow that have been sent to distribute aid. The nation will also be welcoming high ranking representatives from the US.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon also personally called Mr. Samak to ask that he help in negotiating the issuance of visas to Myanmar for officials wishing to contribute to relief efforts.

thainews.prd.go.th


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In this photo released by World Vision, Myanmar villagers sleep at a Buddhist temple used as a shelter for victims of cyclone Nargis in Yangon, Myanmar Tuesday, May 13, 2008. The U.N. said Myanmar faces a catastrophe of monumental proportions unless relief efforts reach the scale of the Indian Ocean tsunami, as soldiers barred foreign aid workers from reaching cyclone survivors in hard-hit areas.
(AP Photo/World Vision, HO)

Cite

it.notizie.yahoo.com


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Lives ebb away as Myanmar’s military sidelines vital aid
May 14th, 2008
By Simon Parry

Myawaddy (Myanmar), May 14 (DPA) It was supposed to be a moment of hope, a breakthrough in the troubled international aid effort for the hundreds of thousands of Myanmarese victims of Cyclone Nargis. Instead, I watched as the delivery of the first overland aid convoy was received with stark indifference by military officials either ill prepared or uninterested in speeding the aid to those in need.

snip

Sharing some of their hope, I defied a ban on foreign journalists and crossed into Myanmar with the trucks. What I witnessed was a debacle.

The moment the trucks were out of sight of the border post, they were directed off the road and along a three kilometre dusty track to a semi-deserted monastery and pagoda.

snip

I watched as they waved the trucks to parking bays without looking to see what they contained, then ambled back to a reception area to resume the card-playing and tea-drinking that had been interrupted.

snip

The major, Myat Hdut Aye, explained that nothing more would be happening for the time being. “It will have to wait here until tomorrow,” he said, gesturing to the trucks. “Then it will be transferred by road to Yangon. We can’t do anything more today.”

I asked gently why it wasn’t being moved immediately. Silent for a moment, he blushed before replying: “We need a big truck to carry all these things and it has to come from Yangon.” So when would it arrive? He looked a little more uncomfortable and said: “We hope it will be here in time to leave early tomorrow.”

snip

thaindian.com


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428

Myanmar disaster response worst in memory
15 May 2008

"I cannot recall a relief operation where, at least the international response, has been subjected to such delays. Where two weeks into it, we don't even have a decent assessment of the numbers affected," said Mark Malloch-Brown, a top Foreign Office official and a former UN deputy secretary general.

khaleejtimes.com

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Storm victims arrested and driven out from shelters

Reporting by Aye Nai

May 15, 2008 (DVB) – The police attacked and arrested a storm victim and a member of South Dagon Township National League for Democracy (NLD) member today for attempting to meet with UN officials in Rangoon.

At 4’oclock this evening, Daw Khin Win Kyi was arrested for attempting to tell the sufferings of refugees to senior government officials, diplomats and UN officials who were inspecting the living condition of storm victims with 15 other women, a local resident told DVB.

“She wanted the senior officials to know the sufferings of the people and wanted to tell them face to face and went to wait at the route of the official entourage. She told officials at Ward – 17 to let her see the senior officials, and the police told her that they could not let her in, and a shouting match followed. Then, the police sergeant punched her, dragged her away and handcuffed her.”

snip

english.dvb.no

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Junta to expand logging fields in Northern Burma
Thursday, 15 May 2008

There is nothing better that the Burmese military junta understands than raking in moolah, even if it means deforestation and massive damage to the ecology and environment. To the generals of the junta money is sweeter than honey.

snip

kachinnews.com

See Also : https://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-asi...tml#post625529

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Burma approves draft constitution by 92.4 percent
Thursday, 15 May 2008

New Delhi – Burma's draft constitution was overwhelmingly approved by voters, state radio announced Thursday.

The announcement read out by Chief Justice Aung Toe, head of the Referendum Holding Committee, said 92.4 percent, or 20,786,596 voters out of the more than 22 million voters, cast ballots in favor of the draft constitution in a referendum held on May 10.

Aung Toe said 1.3 million votes were cast against the draft constitution, while 334,584 ballots were canceled. He put the voter turnout at 99.07 percent.

mizzima.com

mid : 92.4 percent of people will vote yes when confronted with a gun to the head ..............

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Wa told to give back their temporary cards

Junta authorities in Mongton township, opposite Chiangmai, have demanded that Wa residents along the Thai-Burma border return their newly issued White cards, according to a yet to be confirmed report.

The order was issued on 13 May, 3 days after the nationwide referendum followed by numerous reports about official irregularities, according to the source.

A Wa officer contacted by the Shan Herald was unable to substantiate the report but confirmed that most of the Wa eligible voters had cast No votes to the junta-drawn draft charter. “That must have really needled them,” he remarked.

snip


Authorities force people to work till death
By Lieng Lern

3 villagers were drowned after local authorities forced them to make a raft and many other people were forced to clear the bushes beside the Nammao River, also known as Shweli in Namkham Township, according to reliable sources.

On 30 April 2008, local authorities forced 4 men to make a raft for them [authorities] to cross the river.

"While we were making the raft, some bamboo poles drifted away. Authorities then ordered us to swim after and take them back. But, the water was so strong and deep. 3 of my friends were drowned. I was the only survivor," a villager was quoted as saying.

snip

shanland.org


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Cyclone Survivors Told to Return to Shattered Homes
By WAI MOE
Thursday, May 15, 2008

Nearly 2,000 cyclone survivors still sheltering in monasteries, religious buildings and schools in one Rangoon township have been told by the authorities to return to what is left of their homes by May 20.

The order was confirmed by one resident of the affected township, South Dagon Myothit, who asked: “Where will the survivors live?” Angered by the official order, Ko Pauk said: “Their homes were destroyed by the cyclone. The authorities are really stupid.”


Children reach their hands out to receive a free banana from a local donor on the outskirts of Rangoon on Wednesday.
(Photo: AP)

snip

irrawaddy.org


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Sex trade traffickers get busy among cyclone orphans

Sex trade traffickers are preying on child survivors of Burma's devastating Cyclone Nargis, writes Edward Loxton for The First Post. At least two suspected traffickers have been arrested in Rangoon since the cyclone hit, according to UNICEF's child protection officer in Burma, Anne-Claire Dufay.

"A broker came to a shelter and tried to recruit children," she told the French news agency AFP. "The police intervened and made arrests."

snip

thefirstpost.co.uk


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Burma Seeks Help from Neighbors
2008-05-14

May 14, 2008: (Irrawaddy) Burma's junta has approved aid personnel from Bangladesh, China, India and Thailand to help its relief efforts for victims of Cyclone Nargis, while still delaying granting visas to many non-Asian experts, a United Nations official said on Wednesday.

snip

indoburmanews.net


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Meteorologists downgrade cyclone warning off Myanmar
Thursday 15th May, 2008

Warnings of a second cyclone heading for Myanmar, which is reeling from the impact of Cyclone Nargis, have been cancelled, meteorologists said Thursday.

'The potential for the development of a significant tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours is downgraded to poor,' the US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre in Hawaii said in a forecast issued late Wednesday, saying the centre of the storm had weakened.

snip

irishsun.com


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from the blog world .............




Global Day of Action for Burma's Cyclone Victims

On Saturday May 17th 2008 people across the world will join a Global Day of Action calling for an urgent response to the humanitarian disaster in Burma.

We urge you to join this day of action and ask world governments to take action now and save thousands of lives.

We are calling on the US, UK, France and other key nations to use whatever assets and means they have to deliver aid to those suffering in Burma, even without the approval of the military regime.

Many European leaders have already stood up and called for action to force aid in if necessary. This effort is being pushed by a coalition of organizations around the world, and supported by many groups inside Burma.

We cannot stand by as millions more are on the brink of death from starvation and disease.

The UN has warned of a "second catastrophe unless the junta immediately allows massive air and land aid deliveries”.

Our sources inside Burma tell us that the survivors in the Irrawaddy delta are now having to cope with a “tsunami of disease”.


We will hold 3 protests in London on Saturday 17 May, details are below:

French Embassy: Time: 12:30 - 13:00
Address: 58 Knightsbridge London SW1X 7JT

American Embassy: Time: 13:30 - 14:00
Address: 24 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A 2LQ

Foreign Office: 14:40 – 15:10
Address: King Charles Street London SW1A 2AH

ko-htike.blogspot.com


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PM says Myanmar can rely on itself
15 May 2008

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej announces that Myanmar can rely on itself in assisting people affected by cyclone Nargis and Thailand will dispatch 40 medical teams to the country soon.

The premier says he has met with his Myanmar counterpart Gen.Thein Sein to discuss assistance for the affected people during his visit to the country. He has also traveled to observe residences damaged by the cyclone.

Mr Samak says the affected people already had access to water and electricity but trees and roads have yet been restored. Although Myanmar does not have much experience on this kind of situation, it can revive the cyclone-hit cities by itself, the premier says.

The prime minister also says the Myanmar government is willing to accept assistance from Thailand. 20 from 40 medical teams from Thailand will be dispatched to treat the injured and the rest 20 to prevent epidemics.

thainews.prd.go.th


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Estimated 3.2 Million Burmese Potentially Affected By Cyclone

ScienceDaily (May 14, 2008) — As many as 3.2 million Burmese are estimated to be affected by the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis, according to geographic risk models developed by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Lehman College, CUNY.

Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the researchers calculated the likely distribution of the population of Burma (also known as Myanmar) and developed maps of the regions at greatest risk from the storm’s effects.

snip

sciencedaily.com

See Also : https://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-asi...tml#post625667 (Burma : Estimated 3.2 Million Burmese Potentially Affected By Cyclone)


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Myanmar issues warning; cyclone death toll soars
May 15, 2008

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar's military regime is warning of legal action against people who trade or hoard international aid.

It's the first acknowledgment by the government of problems with relief efforts following a devastating cyclone earlier this month.

The warning comes amid reports that foreign aid is being sold openly in markets. And there's word that the military is seizing and diverting aid for its own use.

The government denies the accusations. An announcement on state-run radio claims the government has "distributed the relief goods immediately and directly to the victims."

Myanmar says more than 43,000 people have been killed by the storm. The Red Cross puts the figure at more than 68,000.

snip

kristv.com


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UN: 2.5m in need of aid in Burma
15 May 2008

The United Nations has increased its estimate of the number of people in urgent need of aid in Burma to 2.5 million.

It also said over half a million people may now be sheltering in temporary settlements after being left destitute by Cyclone Nargis nearly two weeks ago.

The UN has called for a high-level donors conference to deal with the crisis.

snip

channel4.com


Mid : what has China and Russia got to say now ??


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Junta: Referendum clears Burma statute
Rangoon, May 15

"People are dying and they are talking about the referendum?" said Kyaw Muang, a small food store owner in Rangoon. "They (the generals) don’t even care about dying people, you think they care about democracy for living people? I don’t care about the referendum. It doesn’t mean anything."

asianage.com


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US pushes for helicopters to ferry Myanmar relief
May 15th, 2008

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - The door is open. But just a crack.

Myanmar's isolationist ruling junta is now allowing U.S. military cargo planes to regularly fly relief supplies into their largest city to provide aid to cyclone survivors.

But if the aid is to get out to the estimated 2 million people who need it most, Myanmar is going to have to make another big concession: letting the U.S. start flying helicopters directly into the hardest-hit areas and allowing boots on the ground.

So far, that is where the junta draws the line.

snip

620ktar.com

See Also : https://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-asi...tml#post625815


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495

Many polling stations in Mon state flouted referendum law
Thu 15 May 2008
By Loa Htaw, IMNA

Many polling stations in Mon state southern Burma did not open or close in accordance with the referendum law, said local activists.

snip

At least about 10 polling stations were not opened at 6 am and closed much before 4 pm in Mudon, Thanbyuzayat and Chanug Zone townships, said a leader of the Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF).

snip

"Before I went to the polling station I decided to vote against but when I arrived at the booth and voted the staff followed me into the voting room and I voted 'yes', said Nai Seik a voter from Mudon township.

snip

According to Mon community leaders, the referendum commission and poll stations staff in Mon state were threatened by the higher authorities that they would be sacked from their jobs if their polling stations got more 'No' votes than 'Yes' votes.

snip

monnews-imna.com


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Referendum results slammed by ceasefire groups

“Impossible” was the word used by a senior member of the National Democratic Alliance Army-Eastern Shan State (NDAA-ESS) in response to the claim made by Burma’s rulers yesterday of the overwhelming public support given to the military-drawn draft constitution on May 10.

snip

shanland.org


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Nargis Costing Burma $3 Billion
By WILLIAM BOOT / BANGKOK
Friday, May 16, 2008

Cyclone Nargis has probably cost Burma’s already weak economy more than US $3 billion, with the knock-on effects likely to be felt by the country’s poorest, say economists.

Burma’s economy is more than 50 percent dependent on agriculture—and around two-thirds of that is generated by the devastated Irrawaddy delta region, Professor Sean Turnell of Macquarie University in Australia told The Irrawaddy.

Based on the workings of the known economy, and the estimated delta damage, Turnell believes the bill for Cyclone Nargis could be as high as $3.6 billion.

“It’s a very, very rough assessment at this stage,” said Turnell, who produces the Burma Economic Watch bulletin. However, he anticipates that production in the delta could be 75 percent down for the foreseeable future.

snip

irrawaddy.org


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Burma: Monks vs. Junta
By Christopher Johnson | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

Officials move refugees out of monasteries to stem monks' influence.

Mae Sot, Thailand - The longstanding tensions between the two largest organizations in Burma (Myanmar) – the military and the Buddhist clergy – are finding new outlets as both groups confront the devastating aftermath of cyclone Nargis.

The monks have temples sheltering victims in the delta – and have begun to organize funding and supplies for victims, which they hope to deliver via an underground network of sympathetic citizens and exiles worldwide and in Thai border areas such as Mae Sot. But nearly two weeks since the storm struck, the military, unquestionably, has the upper hand, with guns, helicopters, and relief supplies. And now, it is starting to force cyclone victims out of monasteries into tent camps, prompted by concern that the monks could help spur protests.

snip

reliefweb.int


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From victims to heroes, Myanmar's survivors step up as foreign aid blocked
May 16, 2008

BANGKOK - They are hungry, grief-stricken and their homes are in ruins, but cyclone-battered Myanmar citizens are going to heroic lengths to help their devastated communities, aid workers say.

snip

Victims to Heroes

'They're doing kind of heroic things after they went through the cyclone too. Some of them don't even have roofs on their own homes,' Save the Children's Kathryn Rawe told reporters in Bangkok.

People who have lost their family members, been displaced from their homes, and lost every possession, are turning up at Red Cross centres to offer their help.

Some have set up waystations to treat the many people who were 'sandblasted' by debris that tore a layer of skin off their backs as the ferocious storm thundered across townships on May 3, leaving at least 71,000 dead or missing.

Bridget Gardner from the International Federation of the Red Cross returned from a trip to the worst-hit Irrawaddy Delta region, which is now largely off-limits to foreigners, where she witnessed 'many acts of heroism'.

'Four or five volunteers are giving basic first aid to 200 people a day, and they don't even have homes to go back to when they finish,' she said.

Hospitals overwhelmed by victims are increasingly relying on this voluntary help.

One woman urgently needed a blood transfusion.

'These guys got on their bikes and went out and found two guys with the same blood group,' Gardner's IFRC colleague Joe Lowry said in Bangkok.

'Within five minutes they had sat them down and did a live blood transfusion into the woman. They are taking a huge burden off the hospitals.'

snip

straitstimes.com


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Public health chief and team visit Burma

(BangkokPost.com) - Public Health permanent secretary Prat Boonyawongwirot and team flew to Burma on Friday morning to discuss with Burmese officials on working plan before the Thai medical team will go to help victims of Cyclone Nargis on Saturday.

The Thai medical team, comprises of 30 doctors, is sent there on behalf of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkokrn.

Dr Prat said the team would like to assist people living at the mouth of Irrawaddy River, the area severely hit by the cyclone, if the Burmese government permits.

snip

bangkokpost.com


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Thai medics in Myanmar prepare for humanitarian mission



BANGKOK, May 16 (TNA) – The first team of Thai doctors left for Myanmar on Friday morning to prepare for their humanitarian mission before another team of the royal medical unit will start work on Saturday.

The Thai medical staff will be responsible for preparing accommodation, food, and other expenses for its own team. The team will return to Thailand late Friday.

snip

enews.mcot.net

Myanmar: Malteser International teams treat first cholera patients -
Two more cargos with relief supplies for the Irrawaddy Delta
16 May 2008

Labutta/Cologne. "By now, we have treated the first cholera patients," Malteser International staff members report from the hardly (sic)* affected coastal town in the Irrawaddy Delta. Since the cyclone hit the region, the people here in Labutta could only drink water from wells that have been spoilt and heavily polluted by the flood wave."

snip

alertnet.org

* : mid , suspect it's meant to be badly ..........

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MSF teams delivering aid to the Delta call for immediate and unobstructed escalation of relief operations

"Although MSF is able to provide a certain level of direct assistance, the overall relief effort is clearly inadequate," said Bruno Jochum Director of Operations of MSF in Geneva. "Thousands of people affected by the cyclone are in a critical state and are in urgent need of relief..."

reliefweb.int


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Myanmar's junta confines foreigners to Yangon
May 16, 12:31 PM EDT


Myanmar cyclone survivors repair their damaged house on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar, Friday, May 16, 2008.
(AP Photo)

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- Myanmar's military rulers have thrown a tightening ring of security around Yangon, blocking aid workers, foreign diplomats and journalists from reaching cyclone-battered regions where millions need food and medicine.

New roadblocks manned by armed police have sprung up around Myanmar's largest city. Authorities at the checkpoints take down passport information and license plate numbers and sometimes interrogate drivers and their foreign passengers before ordering them to return to Yangon.

snip

hosted.ap.org


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Myanmar cyclone death toll rises to 77,738
2008-05-16

YANGON, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Cyclone Nargis has risen sharply to 77,738 in Myanmar, the state television reported in a night broadcast Friday, a fortnight after the disaster hit the country.
The dead included 159 state service personnel.

A total of 55,917 people, including 58 government employees remained missing, said the report. The number of the injured stood at 19,359.

The sharp increase of the death toll was confirmed late because the disaster-hit area was so wide and the searching operation was hard that the authorities could not obtain the figures in time, the report clarified.

snip

xinhuanet.com

Mid : hang on junta , your claiming you have the situation undercontroll ......


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Junta 'hiding scale of Burma cyclone tragedy'
16/05/2008



Burma's military leaders were accused today of deliberately keeping the full plight of suffering cyclone survivors from aid agencies.

The United Nations said that severe restrictions by the junta mean they lack the most basic information, from the number of orphans to the extent of diseases and the number of refugee camps.

They also could not say whether all survivors are in camps, on the move or still living in destroyed villages in the hardest-hit Irrawaddy delta, an area the size of Austria.

snip

breakingnews.ie


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642

Monks prevented from working with other donors
Reporting by Naw Say Phaw

May 16, 2008 (DVB)–A Mandalay abbot involved in aid efforts in Rangoon said the authorities have tried to prevent his group working with non-governmental organisations, and have said all aid must go through local officials.

In more than ten days since Cyclone Nargis struck Burma, the military regime has still not provided effective assistance to cyclone victims.

Social services, celebrities from the Burmese film industry and monks have been helping people in the worst-affected areas by donating food and other supplies.

However, those who work on relief efforts have been told by the authorities not to cooperate with the monks and donors have been directed to channel their financial contributions through the division commander.

snip

english.dvb.no


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Kachin Christian volunteers stopped from helping cyclone victims
Friday, 16 May 2008

In what is in an inhuman act on the part of the Burmese military junta, it has prohibited Rangoon based Kachin Christian youth volunteers from leaving for Cyclone Nargis devastated areas in Irrawaddy Delta in southern Burma to help victims, Rangoon Christian sources said.

snip

kachinnews.com


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Regime Cronies Win Contracts for Cyclone Reconstruction Work
By MIN LWIN
Friday, May 16, 2008

The Burmese military regime is reportedly giving companies run by its cronies lucrative contracts to reconstruct areas flattened by cyclone Nargis.

The 43 companies entrusted with the reconstruction work include such regime-friendly enterprises as the Asia World Company, Htoo Trading, the Eden Group, Max Myanmar and Shwe Thanlwin.


Residents help to rebuild a road damaged from the flood on the outskirts of Rangoon.
(Photo: AP)

snip

Burmese Prime Minister Gen Thein Sein said on Thursday that the first phase of bringing relief to the victims of the cyclone had been completed and the second phase, reconstruction, was now beginning.

irrawaddy.org


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The Junta’s Helping Hand
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
HARN LAY / THE IRRAWADDY



irrawaddy.org


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China Backs Myanmar in Resisting Demands to Take Aid (Update3)
By Demian McLean

May 17 (Bloomberg) -- China is backing Myanmar as it resists pressure from the U.S. and other nations to admit more relief workers and supplies to help as many as 2.5 million cyclone victims at risk of disease and hunger.

Other countries must show ``due respect'' to Myanmar, said Wang Baodong, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, at a briefing yesterday. ``Myanmar is a sovereign country. In the end, rescue and relief work will have to rely on the Myanmar government and people.''

snip

bloomberg.com

mid : you imbecile , showing due respect to the people of Burma would be assisting them in their time of need .


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France criticizes Myanmar for refusing navy ship to deliver aid
Sat, 17 May 2008

France criticized Myanmar's military junta on Friday for refusing to allow a French navy ship with 1,500 tons of relief supplies for victims of Cyclone Nargis to deliver the food and medicine directly by small boats and helicopters to the devastated Irrawaddy Delta region.

France's UN Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert said the ship would be in international waters within sight of the Irrawaddy Delta on Saturday, and he warned that the military government's refusal to allow aid to be delivered to people in need or in danger "could lead to a true crime against humanity."

snip

tv3.co.nz


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U.S. Lawmakers Call for Intervention in Myanmar, AFP Reports
By Chen Shiyin

May 17 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. lawmakers asked President George W. Bush to consider intervening in Myanmar, which has limited foreign aid to cyclone victims, Agence France-Presse said, citing a letter by 43 members of the House of Representatives.

snip

bloomberg.com


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Govt urge public to make donations to help cyclone victims
May 17, 2008

The PM's Office Minister Friday set up two centers to receive public donations to help Burmese people affected by Cyclone Nargis.

Julayuth Hiranyawasit, permanent secretary for PM's Office, said one of the center was opened at the Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge on Rajdamnoen Avenue and the other one at the Finance Division of the PM's Office.

The public can give donations at the centres form 8 am to 6 pm starting Saturday.

He said members of the public can also credit Krung Thai Bank's account 067-0-04241-2.

He said the government would like the public to donate small tractors, water pumps and construction materials to help the cyclone victims.

nationmultimedia.com


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707

French relief ship positioned off Myanmar waters

PARIS, May 17, 2008 (AFP) - A French navy ship stocked with 1,000 tonnes of food and emergency supplies was positioned off Myanmar's coast awaiting entry Saturday, the army chief of staff said in a statement.

'Since Saturday, the 'Mistral' has been navigating on the Irrawady delta just outside Myanmar's territorial waters,' the statement said. 'The modalities of delivery have not been defined as yet,' it said, adding that talks were underway with Myanmar officials.

snip

reliefweb.int


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UN envoy warns of 'crime against humanity' in Burma
Last Updated: 17/05/2008

France's UN ambassador has warned Burma's junta is on the verge of a "crime against humanity", as its toll of dead and missing rose to more than 133,000, making Cyclone Nargis one of the most devastating ever to hit Asia.

French envoy Jean-Maurice Ripert dismissed claims by his Burma counterpart Paris was sending a warship to sit off the coast. He said the ship, Le Mistral, was operated by the French navy but was not a warship. It is carrying 1,500 tonnes of food and medicine as well as small boats, helicopters and field hospital platforms.

Three US Navy vessels are already hovering off the coast ready to go in with relief supplies, but the Pentagon insists it will not do so until it gets the go-ahead from the Burma authorities

In a rare sign of agreement with international aid agencies, the junta last night sharply raised its toll from the May 2nd disaster to 77,738 dead and another 55,917 missing. The news came on state TV, which aside from offering updated casualty figures has mainly shown footage of generals handing out food at the model tented villages.

snip

ireland.com


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Norway critical of sanctions against Myanmar
Posted: 2008/05/17

STOCKHOLM, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Norwegian government expressed on Friday its critical attitude to sanctions against Myanmar, according to reports reaching here from Oslo.

Sanctions by Western nations against Myanmar have no effects on the Myanmar government, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.

snip

mathaba.net


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Senior General Than Shwe felicitates Norwegian King

Nay Pyi Taw, 17 May - Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of Myanmar, has sent a message of felicitations to His Majesty King Harald V of Norway, on the occasion of the National Day of Norway, which falls on 17 May 2008.

snip

myanmar.com


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Junta rebuffs EU humanitarian Commissioner
Larry Jagan
Saturday, 17 May 2008

Bangkok - 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.

snip

mizzima.com


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Brown condemns Burma's 'inhumanity'
Sat May 17 2008



Gordon Brown has stepped up pressure on the Burmese government accusing the military regime of "inhuman" treatment of Cyclone Nargis victims.

The Prime Minister urged the ruling junta to stop blocking foreign aid amid dire warnings that many survivors are still without food, water and shelter.

"This is inhuman. We have an intolerable situation" - Gordon Brown
Mr Brown said: "This is inhuman. We have an intolerable situation, created by a natural disaster.

"It is being made into a man-made catastrophe by the negligence, the neglect and the inhuman treatment of the Burmese people by a regime that is failing to act and to allow the international community to do what it wants to do."

He added: "The responsibility lies with the Burmese regime and they must be held accountable."

snip

itn.co.uk


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PM Thein Sein wrong man for handling disasters?

Gen Thein Sein, who was appointed prime minister last year, is facing his first crucial test as a leader and so far is faring badly just as he did when he was the regional commander in Kengtung, eastern Shan State, from 1996-2001, according to his critics there.

One major disaster he faced during his tour in Shan State, they say, was the crash of the Myanmar Airways Fokker Friendship passenger plane near Tachilek on 24 August 1998 that killed all 39 on board including the pilot.

The disaster was “inevitable” as the pilot was trying to land amid poor visibility due to heavy fog and strong winds, according to them. “It wasn’t his fault that the plane crashed,” said a respected resident. “What he should have done was to alert the residents and organize search parties. But what the actually did was, I’m afraid, quite the opposite.”

snip

shanland.org

Full Article : PM Thein Sein wrong man for handling disasters? — Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N.)


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A quiet celebration for this year’s Shan Resistance Day

The 50th anniversary of the Shan Resistance Day, which falls on 21 May, will be more of a day for reflection than a grandiose affair as expected earlier, according to the anti-junta Shan State Army (SSA) South.

“I was barely one year old when the resistance started,” said the 51-year old SSA boss Col Yawdserk. “It’s high time we did a thoroughgoing appraisal of the rights and wrongs, the strengths and weaknesses of the 50 year struggle so we can begin a new course with renewed confidence.”

snip

shanland.org


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Myanmar cyclone: Burma junta may be prosecuted over aid block
By Philip Sherwell in New York
17/05/2008

Burma's ruling generals could be threatened with prosecution for crimes against humanity as a last resort to pressure them to allow an international relief operation to reach desperate cyclone survivors.


A boy looks out onto his devastated village near Yangon, Burma
GETTY



A woman walks in the rain as she covers herself with a plastic bag in the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar
GETTY

The option is being discussed privately by humanitarian aid agencies, international law experts and Western diplomats, the Telegraph has learned.

"The strategy is to raise the bar for the consequences of not allowing humanitarian intervention by introducing the threat of prosecution for crimes against humanity," said a senior US health expert involved in the discussions.

"The goal is to save lives in the delta by elevating the threat level against the regime."

snip

telegraph.co.uk


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755

Myanmar red tape blamed for delayed Thai medical team



BANGKOK, May 17 (TNA) -- A delay on the departure of 30 Thai medical staff for Myanmar this morning was due to strict entry procedures imposed by the military junta of that secretive country, a senior Thai official said.

Dr. Surachet Stitniramai, director of Public Health Ministry's Narenthorn Center, said the medical teams, sponsored by Thai Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, were earlier scheduled to leave the military airport here at 8.00 a.m. local time (0100 gmt) but were struck at the airport for more than four hours as the C-130 military aircraft needed a clearance first from Myanmar authorities.

Two C-130 planes finally left the airport at 12.20 p.m. local time (0520 gmt) after the entry approval was given by authorities in that neighboring country, said Dr. Surachet.

He said the strict procudures and difficulties in coordination caused the delay not because Myanmar was not welcome the team.

snip

enews.mcot.net


mid: He said the strict procudures and difficulties in coordination caused the delay not because Myanmar was not welcome the team.

oh crap Dr. Surachet , people who welcome others DO NOT place restrictions on their entry .

putting face before peoples lives in simply inhuman .


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Rangoon resident claims military selling aid supplies
Reporting by Naw Say Paw

May 17, 2008 (DVB)–Despite the Burmese regime’s announcement that anyone stealing or hoarding aid supplies will face legal actions, reports continue to circulate of aid appropriation and re-selling by military officials.

snip

A Rangoon resident claimed yesterday that military officials had been selling rice and oil during the night.

“They are selling bags of rice donated from abroad. The army delivers them during the night in their cars,” the resident said.

“You can see Two Prawns brand oil donated by Thailand being sold on the streets in various types of bottles and boxes and measures, and you can get as much as you like,” he said.

snip



Reporters banned from photographing storm damage
Reporting by Khin Maung Soe Min

May 17, 2008 (DVB)–Local authorities have imposed a strict ban on Burmese photojournalists taking pictures of damage caused by Cyclone Nargis and the dire conditions of storm victims.

According to a photojournalist who went to Bogalay and other areas of the Irrawaddy delta, reporters were told to take pictures of the generals giving aid and helping the victims instead.

“When we went to the villages, we were told not to take photographs, and we were told not to take the pictures of the corpses. We were not allowed to go into alleys,” the photojournalist said.

‘ “We were told to take the pictures of them feeding and helping the refugees. We could only take the pictures they wanted us to take,” he said.

snip

english.dvb.no


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Bodies floating to Mon State
Sat 17 May 2008
IMNA

Bodies and flotsam from the Irrawaddy and Rangoon (Yangon) Division are floating to Mon State, according to fisherman in Kyaik-khame in Mon State.

Fishermen in Kyaik-khame Thanpyuzayart Township said bodies, animal carcasses and flotsam in the wake of the Cyclone Nargis were being swept into Kyaik-khanme areas into the of Gulf of Martaban Sea.

"Bodies and animal carcasses were getting caught in the fishing nets. Some bodies had hands holding onto something or the other at a last ditch attempt at surviving," they added. Refrigerators and some house-boats also came in with the tide in the sea.

snip

monnews-imna.com


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Burmese junta lambasted for restriction on aid to cyclone survivors
2008-05-17


Burmese activists in a demonstration of New Delhi based Burmese pro-democracy groups call for Burmese regime to ease restriction on humanitarian aid for cyclone survivors in Burma.
(Photo - Myo Myint Aung/Khonumthung)

May 17, 2008 - Angry pro-democracy activists from Burma held a protest rally in New Delhi's Jantar Mantar area demanding that the Burmese military junta immediately stop depriving cyclone victims of relief material and ease restrictions on both international aids ready to be shipped to Burma and entry of relief workers.

snip

khonumthung.com


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With the Refugees in Laputta
By AUNG THET WINE / LAPUTTA
Saturday, May 17, 2008

A heavy rain falls on the refugees in ragged clothes waiting patiently at 8 am on Wednesday in front of the heavy gate of Thakya Mara Zein Pagoda in Laputta Township.

They are wet and cold. They rub their hands to stop shivering. Their faces betray real hunger. Dehydrated and exhausted, they have eyes like people who have been fighting a war. They stare intently at the people working in the blue-colored canvas tents.

They represent more than 1.5 homeless Burmese now struggling for survival in the Irrawaddy delta, victims of Cyclone Nargis. They are gathered at this temporary camp for food. If they are lucky they will get real rice.

A man with a megaphone announces in a loud voice: "Please don't crowd around the gate. We will share the rice as soon as we receive it. Please don't block the road."

The refugees remain motionless at the gate.

One hour later, the man returns: "We have no rice for today. We have nothing to share at this moment, but we will cook rice soup from rice left over from yesterday. We will serve it at 11."

The rice soup amounts to one glass of water with low-quality Mee Done rice, almost nothing. But it was better than nothing.

snip



No Time to Lose: Ban to General Assembly
By LALIT K JHA / UNITED NATIONS
Saturday, May 17, 2008

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday told the UN General Assembly there is "no time to lose" in Burma because the country faces an imminent outbreak of infectious diseases because of the slow relief and rescue operation in the Irrawaddy Delta which was virtually devastated by Cyclone Nargis.

"More than two weeks after the event, we are at a critical point. Unless more aid gets into the country—quickly—we face the risk of an outbreak of infectious diseases that could dramatically worsen today's crisis," Ban told the General Assembly in an informal meeting.

snip

irrawaddy.org


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Burma Cyclone: Thousands of children will die from hunger within weeks unless reached by aid
Sunday 18 May 2008

Thousands of young children in Burma will die within two to three weeks from hunger unless food reaches them soon, Save the Children says. Some children may already be dying from a lack of food in the wake of Cyclone Nargis.

snip

savethechildren.org.uk


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Chevron Sri Lanka’s parent Group helps in Myanmar relief

Chevron Corporation is contributing $2 million to provide assistance to those affected by the recent devastating cyclone in Myanmar, the company said through its Colombo office. The International Federation of the Red Cross will receive a $1 million contribution. An additional $1 million will be allocated to four other organizations: the International Organization for Migration, Mercy Corps, Pact and Save the Children, the company said.

"We share the concerns of the global community for the welfare of those affected by this terrible tragedy," said Chevron’s Vice Chairman Peter Robertson. "We are pleased to partner with these aid agencies to provide immediate help to victims of the cyclone."

snip

sundaytimes.lk


mid: if only it were that easy Mr Chevron , where will the money end up ?? junta's pockets ?


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Buddha’s teachings significant in troubled times: UN Chief - Vesak messages

Sunday May 18, 2008

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his Vesak Day message said the Buddha’s timeless teachings of peace, compassion and love for all living beings should inspire the efforts to address the broader challenges confronting our world -- in peace and security, in development and in the protection of our environment.


Ban Ki-moon

“In these areas, we have to rise above our perceived narrow self-interests, and think and act as members of one global community. This is the path to enlightenment, and it is the foundation of a better world for all,” he said.

snip

sundaytimes.lk

See Also : https://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-asi...tml#post628517 (Visakha Bucha Day)


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Myanmar top leader visits cyclone-hit areas for first time
2008-05-18

YANGON, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar top leader Senior-General Than Shwe Sunday traveled for the first time from the new capital of Nay Pyi Taw to the former capital of Yangon hit by severe cyclone early this month, the state Radio and Television reported.

Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, made the inspection tour a fortnight after the disaster to Nargis-hit Yangon suburban areas of Hlaingtharya and Dagon township (South and North), the report said.

Greeted by Prime Minister General Thein Sein, who is also Chairman of the National Disaster Preparedness Central Committee, Than Shwe made instructions with regard to relief and resettlement work, the report added.

snip

xinhuanet.com


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Burmese opposition leader says world must act
John King, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, May 18, 2008

A leading opponent of Burma's military regime spoke at a Marin County college graduation on Saturday and called on the world's largest nations to help victims of Cyclone Nargis - whether the current regime approves or not.

"The international community must act immediately and effectively to save millions of lives," said Sein Win, prime minister of the National Coalition Government Union of Burma, a self-proclaimed government-in-exile that opposes the military, which has controlled Burma since 1962.

snip

sfgate.com


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U.N. chief going to Myanmar
18/05/2008
By Aung Hla Tun

YANGON (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon will travel to Myanmar this week to discuss the troubled cyclone aid operations, his spokeswoman said on Sunday, as signs of a breakthrough on the issue mounted.

Ban's spokeswoman Michele Montas also said she expected there would be a conference in Bangkok on May 24 to marshal funds for the relief effort.

"I can confirm he (Ban) is going to Myanmar this week," she said by telephone, adding he was expected to arrive by Wednesday or Thursday.

snip

eleconomista.es


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