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Time Magazine

At Their Mercy
Refugees wait at a monastery in the town of Kyaiklat. With millions of U.S. aid dollars waiting in the wings, the government has said it will allow

Making Do
Over 200,000 people are thought to be living in makeshift shelters along the coast, like this one at Thar Yar Wae village near Bogalay.

Pulling Together
People starting to rebuild on their own in Kyaiklat on May 9.

Blind Faith
Monks go in procession to collect their daily alms in a village near Rangoon on May 11.

Sunk
A destroyed home lies in the water in a village near Rangoon on May 11.

Getting By
A man and his wife wade through the waters near their destroyed hut at Ta Lak Gyi village on May 8.

True Believers
A sign urges citizens to be patriotic near the Shwe Maw Daw stupa in Bago on May 10. International agencies have called on China to exert its influence over the Burmese government to accept foreign aid and put a brake to the evolving disaster.

Drowning
A corpse floats at the Irrawaddy river front in the town of Bogalay.

The Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) has received disturbing reports from ethnic-Karen residents of the Irrawaddy Delta that the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) is blocking the distribution of aid from getting into particular areas of the delta affected by Cyclone Nargis due to the fact that they are predominantly ethnic-Karen.  The Irrawaddy delta region as a whole is estimated to be more than 60% ethnic Karen with some villages largely or entirely populated by Karen residents.  Speaking to KHRG, one Karen resident from the delta said that it is because many of the villages are predominantly ethnic Karen and were formerly "populated totally by Karen" that "the regime is not interested in aid reaching the area."

According to another report received by KHRG, "In the rural areas the SPDC are not allowing assistance to villagers…  The authorities have set up check points along the roads on the way to Labutta, Pathein [Bassein], Myaung Mya and Bogale in order to block relief from reaching those in desperate need."  Labutta, a predominantly ethnic-Karen town, has reportedly been decimated by Cyclone Nargis; as has Bogale, which outside of the town centre is also predominantly Karen.  Myaung Mya, like Bogale, is predominantly ethnic Karen outside the town centre and in the surrounding countryside.  Bassein, while now largely populated by non-Karen residents, was previously a majority-Karen town and the surrounding villages remain heavily populated by Karen.

The SPDC's hostile attitude to the Karen population in the delta may be due to the regime's perception of ethnic difference being a threat to centralised military rule.  The delta region was also the location of an unsuccessful attempt in 1991 by the Karen National Union (KNU) and Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) to gain a foothold in the area.  At that time, there was heavy fighting between Karen forces and the Burma Army, especially around the town of Bogale and, as one resident explained to KHRG, the Karen community in the delta "was also the target of massive retaliatory actions by the Burma Army."  As part of the then State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)'s retaliation against civilians, "Villages were burned, helicopter gunships strafed villages and schools, and thousands of Karen community leaders, pastors and schoolteachers were arrested, sentenced en masse and imprisoned."[1] The event came to be known as the 'Bogale Crisis' and the SPDC's distrust of the local Karen population likely still lingers.

The above statements by Karen residents living in the delta are, furthermore, supported by ongoing reports of aid restrictions and diversions in the area more generally.  Associated Press, for example, stated that

"Checkpoints manned by armed police were set up Tuesday [May 13th] on roads leading to the Irrawaddy River delta and all international aid workers and journalists were turned back by officers who took down their names and passport numbers. Drivers were interrogated… high-energy biscuits rushed in on the World Food Program's first flights were sent to a military warehouse."[2]

SPDC authorities also appear to be capitalising on the catastrophe by forcibly relocating affected communities out of the area.  According to a United Nations report on Tuesday, May 13th "Myanmar's military regime is forcing cyclone survivors out of their devastated villages and into other parts of the country… There are a growing number of reports of families being forcibly displaced to non-affected townships."[3] Forced relocation of disparate civilian communities into consolidated population centres is a widespread practice which the Burma Army employs in Karen State to enforce military control over civilian populations.  The current forced relocations in the delta may likewise be intended to serve the purpose of increasing civilian control, rather than for the benefit of the affected population.

The SPDC's current restrictions on international access into the delta have so far limited any opportunity for a more thorough investigation into whether aid is in fact being restricted and diverted on ethnic grounds.  Regardless of whether the SPDC is using ethnicity as a criterion for allowing access to humanitarian assistance, reports of ongoing military restrictions and diversions of aid more generally continue.  International observers must be allowed to access all affected areas to ensure that aid and assistance get through to survivors of Cyclone Nargis, irrespective of ethnicity.  Unless restrictions and the misappropriation of aid supplies cease, more civilians will face the unnecessary threat of starvation, disease and death.  Furthermore, as International Crisis Group Director Gareth Evans stated on Monday,

"If what the generals are now doing, in effectively denying relief to hundreds of thousands of people at real and immediate risk of death, can itself be characterised as a crime against humanity, then the responsibility to protect principle does indeed cut in."[4]

The responsibility to protect principle affirms that when the government of a country is unwilling or unable to protect its citizens from war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing or genocide then this responsibility falls on the international community.  In relation to crimes against humanity, the responsibility to protect principle applies to "Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health" when committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against a civilian population.  As the military regime continues to obstruct aid efforts, their actions increasingly appear to be "intentionally causing great suffering".  In such a case, the responsibility to protect principle applies.  The international community must not allow Burma's military regime to deny crucial aid to affected populations, irrespective of the grounds on which they do so.  Applying the responsibility to protect principle in this case gives added leverage in challenging the regime's increasingly disastrous restrictions on humanitarian assistance to the affected population.

Footnotes

[1] Conditions in the Irrawaddy Delta, KHRG, August 1995.

[2] "UN warns another cyclone is forming near Myanmar," Associated Press, May 14th 2008.

[3] "Traffickers target child survivors of Myanmar cyclone: UN," The Straits Times, May 14th 2008.

[4] "Facing Up to Our Responsibilities," Gareth Evans, The Guardian, May 12th 2008.

Source: KHRG

Also die allgemeine Überraschtheit darüber, dass Myanmar ("das-ehemalige-Burma", immer dazu sagen, als ob jemand der nicht weiß was Myanmar ist, sich ab Burma erinnern würde) eine fiese Militärdiktatur ist, die westliche Katastrophenhilfe für ihre eigenen Zwecke und/oder zur Propaganda missbraucht, oder ihre Bevölkerung am besten direkt ohne Hilfe ihrem Schicksal überlässt und ihr beim Verrecken wegen verseuchten Trinkwassers zusieht. Das ist immerhin weniger aufwendig, zumal ein toter Myanmarer (?) keinen Aufstand mehr machen kann!

Jedenfalls stellt sich immer wieder die Frage, was unsere geliebten Journalisten eigentlich für ein Weltbild haben -- Und da fällt uns doch auch schon wieder ein, an was und das ganze erinnerte: Nämlich die allgemeine Überraschung, dass es da ein Land namens Tibet gibt, was sich als Teil Chinas nur sehr bedingt wohl fühlt. Vielleicht liegt es auch daran, dass die Meinungsmacher von heute vollkommen stoned in einer Ecke lagen, als Tibet chinesisch, und Burma eine Militärdiktatur wurde.

Jedenfalls sind wir alle gespannt auf die nächste Naturkatastrophe in Nordkorea, vielleicht hängt dann an den Fahnenmasten in den liberalen Viertel unserer Städte neben der tibetischen und burmesischen auch noch die nord-koreanische Flagge. Das konnte ja auch niemand ahnen, dass die da auch keine Demokratie haben. Und das auch schon seit mehr als nem halben Jahrhundert!

Um vielleicht derartigen Überraschungen vorzubeugen, kann man ja mal einen gewagten Blick hierauf riskieren, obwohl es sich um eine amerikanische Organisation zu handeln scheint. Und es weiß ja wohl jeder, dass die USA in der Außenpolitik viel weniger Ahung haben, als wir Europäer. Wir waren ja auch nicht so doof und haben versucht anderen Ländern die Freiheit aufzuzwingen. Wir regen uns nur jedesmal künstlich drüber auf, wenn wir wiedermal einen undemokratischen Staat irgendwo ausfindig gemacht haben, demonstrieren mal ein bisschen und verdrängen ihn dann wieder. Das würde die SPD pragmatische Außenpolitik nennen. Aber wer bitte nimmt das ernst?

Reminiscing my childhood, when I went out to play 'wau' in the evening. I would sit while preparing my wau and ask for wind to blow and fly my wau. Same when I was walking under the sun from my house to go for Quran recital class or we Malays, refer as 'mengaji', I would slowly prayed for wind to blow briskly to cool me down and dry my sweats up. And, most of the time, well maybe coincidently the wind did blow and my prayers were granted. So I walked to my Tok Guru's house without worrying my 'baju melayu' will have sweat stain under the arm and at the back. So as my wau, it flew and danced gracefully in the slow and constant evening breeze.

10 years passed by, I am now still under the same sun, but on much different land, in a place far away from home. Further away from the equatorial line where Malaysia sit on. The wind here is much stronger and it doesn't fly any wau, instead it blows away the umbrellas. I remember a senior telling me in order to survive Irish wind, you have to have a really sturdy and strong umbrella. Well he's spot on. I saw many damaged umbrellas bought from penneys or dunnes in the bins and on the floor instead of at the hand of pedestrians. So wind is not much welcomed here, in fact I couldn't remember myself 'inviting' wind while i'm here.

That is the wind that i know of, the wind that doesn't really affect me much. Wind that i rather see as a good friend of mine. For once, i think the wind is nice and gentle.

The fact is, the wind that fly my wau, dry up my sweat, cool off the heat on my way to Quran recital class, wind that blew some umbrellas away in Dublin, brought so much disaster in a place very near to my country. From breeze to strong wind to cyclone. Cyclone called Nargis that killed hundreds of thousands and left others homeless in just one big blow. My heart moved when i saw pictures of a group of kids in Burma now fighting for a banana and a bottle of mineral water. I am glad and happy that only after a few hours after Nargis struck Myanmar, many Malaysians NGOs are offering hands to help the helpless and hopeful Burmese citizens, our neighbours.

When nature strikes, all nations are one. Help and relief missions know no borders. When natural disaster strikes, the way we respond to it as the citizen of the world and not limited by what passport you bear, what skin color you have, what religion you practice and what political ideology you belong to. I hope Myanmar junta will be more open to international pledges to help them, especially when another cyclone is on it's way to crash Myanmar.

Help Burmese.

Tabung Aman Malaysia-Utusan Malaysia dilancar

KUALA LUMPUR 9 Mei - Aman Malaysia dan akhbar Utusan Malaysia hari ini melancarkan tabung kemanusiaan bagi membantu mangsa Taufan Nargis di Myanmar.

Tabung yang dikenali sebagai Tabung Kemanusiaan Taufan Nargis Aman Malaysia-Utusan Malaysia itu bertujuan untuk mendapatkan sumbangan daripada rakyat Malaysia yang prihatin bagi membantu mangsa bencana itu.

Aman Malaysia dalam satu kenyataan di sini hari ini berkata, orang ramai boleh membuat sumbangan kepada tabung itu dengan menggunakan cek berpalang di atas nama PEACE MALAYSIA.

Menurut kenyataan itu, cek berkenaan perlu dihantar kepada Sekretariat Aman Malaysia, B-13-D2, Plaza Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur atau dimasukkan ke dalam akaun CIMB 1420- 0007389-058.

Setakat ini dilaporkan lebih 100,000 rakyat Myanmar terbunuh akibat bencana alam itu dengan kira-kira sejuta lagi hilang tempat tinggal.

Aid agencies were appalled today as the Burmese junta declared the relief effort in the country over, just as foreign observers said the number of dead and missing in the wake of Cyclone Nargis could be higher than 200,000.

The international community was ramping up pressure on the government to allow foreign aid staff into the Irrawaddy Delta, the worst-afflicted area where up to 2.5 million people are thought to be in need of aid.

But Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein astonished the world by telling state television that the initial relief effort was over. "We have already finished our first phase of emergency relief. We are going onto the second phase, the rebuilding stage," he was quoted as saying.

The low-lying region was lashed by further tropical downpours today, turning already damaged roads to mud and deepening the misery of those clinging to survival almost two weeks after the cyclone hit.

Burma state television raised its official death toll to 43,328 yesterday, though independent observers put the toll much higher, with the International Red Cross estimating at least 128,000 dead. British officials said the number of dead and missing could be upwards of 200,000.

The European Union’s top aid official, Louis Michel, met ministers in the capital Rangoon yesterday and urged them to admit foreign aid workers and essential equipment to keep the death toll from rising. He was due to leave the country today, without yet having been allowed access to the affected areas.

The paranoid and isolationist military regime is accepting some foreign aid but has so far prohibited all but a few of the staff needed to coordinate the vast relief effort from entering the country. Those who have been allowed entry have largely been confined to Rangoon, agencies report.

“Relations between Myanmar and the international community are difficult,” he said. “But that is not my problem.The time is not for political discussion. It’s time to deliver aid to save lives.”

Britain’s envoy to the UN, Mark Malloch Brown, castigated the junta for leaving the destitute survivors of the cyclone to suffer.

"We are way behind the curve compared to any other international disaster in recent memory," he said. "I cannot recall a relief operation where, at least the international response has been subjected to such delays."

But the ruling generals, fearful that international involvement will loosen their vice-like grip on power, are signalling they will not budge from their position.

Yesterday, the state newspaper New Light of Myanmar said the people "will not rely too much on international assistance and will reconstruct the nation on a self-reliance basis".

But In the delta town of Bogalay, where around 10,000 people are thought to have died, people complained of forced labour and low supplies of food at state-run refugee centres.

“They have to break stones at the construction sites. They are paid K1,000 ($1) per day but are not provided any food,”, said Ko Hla Min, who lost nine family members in the storm.

Underlining where its priorities lay, the junta declared an overwhelming vote in favour of a constitution which will cement its stranglehold on the country, in a referendum held on May 10 despite calls for a delay in the light of the disaster.

According to official results, turnout was above 99 percent and more than 92 percent approval of the charter, which gives the army a quarter of all seats in parliament, control of key ministries and the right to suspend the constitution at will. Areas affected by the cyclone are to vote later this month.

Related Links

• Burma junta hails poll win as people suffer

• Burma seals off disaster zone from outside world

• Burma relief hit by damage to port

Article from timesonline

As predicted, survivors of Cyclone Nargis, which ravaged lower Burma on May 2 and 3, are no longer surviving.

Not only in the worst-hit delta areas but also in places close to Rangoon people are suffering from illnesses brought on by dirty water, lack of food and exposure to the elements. On Wednesday, a resident speaking to the Voice of America Burmese Service described the situation:

“In Thanlyin, 43-year-old Ko Aung Kyaw Moe died from cholera, as did a small girl in another village on the ninth. She was in the morgue. Also in Twente, I heard it of two girls. Then in Hpayagyigone village of Thanlyin an entire family of five died. And there’s around seven or eight sick people in the hospital.”

This account may or may not be fully accurate, but it is anyhow backed by many other similar reports from the disaster zones. Together they affirm that people are today dying of what can only be described as the most preventable of deaths -- deaths due not to a lack of knowhow, resources or concern, but to an excess of obduracy in a military regime with a record of unremitting and shameless disregard for basic human rights and absolute minimum universal standards.

Under international law, the right to clean drinking water, a decent place to stay and adequate food fall into a special domain that places both positive and negative duties upon governments. What this means is that states must do some things but not others to make sure these rights are upheld.

More specifically, in trade jargon, states are obliged to respect, protect and fulfill fundamental rights. What these three requirements entail, in reverse order, is that authorities must assist people who cannot provide for themselves, must defend the vulnerable from others who may undermine their ability to do so, and at the very least must not do anything to cause people to go hungry, thirsty or homeless.

Often, the problems lie in getting governments to do things that they have not, perhaps because of a lack of money or people, a lack of interest, or maybe because of discriminatory policies. But in certain circumstances, such as those in Burma today, the problem may lie more in getting a government to do nothing at all.

People living in Burma are largely self-reliant. They have to be. By modern standards they generally expect very little of their administrators, and are satisfied if left alone to get by as best they can. Unfortunately, it rarely happens that they are unimpeded, and people who are already hard pressed to meet their own needs are often called upon to contribute to those of the state. Protecting and fulfilling fundamental rights have never been among the regime’s strong points.

Still, never has it sunk so far in its blatant disrespect for the lives and wellbeing of its reluctant subjects than in the past week. Its audacious blockading of cyclone-stricken areas to proffered vital relief, especially technical assistance, far surpasses any of its former acts of self-interested unkindness. Its shabby treatment of United Nations agencies and other reputed international bodies at the cost of its own citizens’ lives has shocked even those used to dealing with it and its agents, as well as those used to hearing of its more routine excesses.

The government’s behavior is also coming as a shock to its own people. In a broadcast on the exile Democratic Voice of Burma radio, a crowd of outraged townsfolk in Laputta this week shouted and cried with palpable anger that approaching two weeks on from the cyclone there are still dead bodies floating in canals, that they have been told to leave shelters and go back to homes that no longer exist, and that they have seen aid being delivered but have not themselves received one iota of it.

The exact number of dead from Cyclone Nargis will never be known. It claimed just too many victims across too wide an area of too disorganized a country for anyone to ever be able to calculate it with certainty. But what can be said with 100 percent certainty is that the number tomorrow will be higher than it was today. And the number next week will be far higher still if, one way or another, help doesn’t get through to those who are in grave danger of dying preventable deaths.

The consequences of doing nothing, or of being unable to do anything, are for the cyclone’s immediate victims clear enough. The dramatic and lasting damage that will be caused to their entire country and its already battered economy can also be foreseen. But beyond these, the effects on the whole world, particularly its disaster relief and human rights movements, should be of special concern.

Failure to address this disaster effectively will establish a monstrous precedent with lasting unwelcome results not only for the people of Burma but for everyone, everywhere. It will be a massive political, legal and humanitarian defeat for us all, but above all, a moral defeat from which it will not be easy to recover. For the sake of Nargis’s victims, their fellow countrymen and women, and for the sake of each and every one of us, this cannot be allowed to happen.

Source: Preventable deaths, global consequences

TIME

Devastated
A remains of a home teeter on the edge of the Irrawaddy River front in Bogalay, Burma, where official reports say 30,000 people have been killed in a cyclone that ravaged the nation on May 2.

Wiped Out
Villages like Bogalay, pictured here on May 9, were torn to the ground by Cyclone Nargis, the worst natural disaster in the southeast Asian nation's modern history.

Salvaging
Farmers in Thar Yar Wae village, on the road to Bogalay, try to save what they can of their rice crop by drying it on the road on May 8.

Trying to Keep Hunger at Bay
Rice is distributed at a monastery at Phayargyi village near Rangoon on May 11, as the ruling junta started to allow a trickle of food aid into the country a full week after the cyclone hit.

On Their Own
Cyclone victims cook barley rice in the Ywan Chyan Kone township near Rangoon on May 11. As of Monday, less than 10 shipments from the World Food Program had been delivered.

Powerless
Damaged electrical wires dangle over the road in Bogalay on May 9. Foreign aid workers still have not been allowed in to help.

At Risk
People line up for clean water in Kyaiklat, on the road to Bogalay. Relief groups have said up to half a million buckets for clean water are needed in the nation, according the Wall Street Journal

Perfect Storm
A destroyed temple at Pyin Taung Su village sinks into the water on the bank of the U Yin Chaung River. On Sunday, Oxfam said Burma faces a "public health catastrophe" due to lack of water, food, and new storms expected this week.

Waiting
Refugees at a monastery in the town of Kyaiklat on May 8. Health officials say up to 1.5 million people are now at risk of deadly disease if aid continues to be blocked.

Is relief to disaster victims a political cause? RIA Novosti, Russia - ... seem to be outside politics - a devastating earthquake in China, a typhoon in nearby Myanmar (Burma), and the forthcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. ...

No breakthroughs in Myanmar aid crisis: EU envoy AFP - YANGON (AFP) — The European Union's aid chief said Friday he had made no breakthroughs on a trip to Myanmar aimed at pushing the ruling generals to open up ...

Local aid heading to Burma, China
Northumberland Today, Canada -
Twenty thousand national Red Cross volunteers immediately began work after the cyclone struck Burma (also known as Myanmar), she said. ...

Aid agencies call on Australians to donate more Special Broadcasting Service, Australia - Concerned aid workers can't get supplies past Burma's ruling junta. Mr Sayadaw says he gives money directly to people he knows in Rangoon, who then go to ...

Burmese junta says relief effort 'finished' as death toll rises Times Online, UK - Burma state television raised its official death toll to 43328 yesterday, though independent observers put the toll much higher, with the International Red ...

Timbrooks’ frustration continues The Winchester Star, VA - STORY Project HOPE is looking for volunteers who would be willing to travel to Myanmar (Burma) to help people in areas devastated by Cyclone Nargis. ...

Project HOPE seeks to assist victims of cyclone, earthquake The Winchester Star, VA - By Stephanie Mangino Millwood — Project HOPE is looking for volunteers who would be willing to travel to Myanmar (Burma) to help people in areas devastated ...

Michel: no agreement with Myanmar junta Radio Netherlands, Netherlands - EU aid Commissioner Louis Michel, currently on a two-day visit to Myanmar, says he has still not yet received permission from the military junta to visit to ...

A plea for aid to keep flowing Toronto Sun,  Canada - ... parents clutching bundled young bodies and devastated communities in China and cyclone-hit Myanmar -- formerly Burma -- will not affect crucial aid. ...

Exploring the marine resources The New Nation, Bangladesh - The coastal area starts from the Indian border in the west and extends some 480 km up to the Burma (Myanmar) border in the southeast and the Bay of Bengal ...

Myanmar declares new constitution ratified after partial vote Los Angeles Times, CA - ... the military regime to allow foreign teams and equipment into Myanmar, also known as Burma, to assess needs and supervise the distribution of supplies. ...

Survivors seek refuge from rain amid the death and turmoil
guardian.co.uk, UK -
The nights are long in Burma. It is pitch black by 7pm, and the sun doesn't rise until after 5am. With no food and no light there is nothing to do but ...

.

Boston Globe

Another cyclone may be brewing near Myanmar
Daily Times, Pakistan -
NEW DELHI: Indian meteorologists warned Wednesday that a massive low pressure system was building off neighbouring Myanmar and was likely to drench untold ...

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Voice of America

Red Cross Warns of Further Misery for Burma's Cyclone Victims
Voice of America -
"If there can be additional support either from the region from outside or with additional people brought in - to work with the Myanmar Red Cross and with ...
Winds, rain lash Burma's devastated Irrawaddy Delta Toronto Star
Myanmar cyclone: 130000 may have died as second storm gathers Telegraph.co.uk
Health disaster feared in Burma Boston Globe
Human Rights Watch (press release) - AHN
all 74 news articles »

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MSN Money UK

An Offer Burma Can't Refuse TIME - The disaster in Burma presents the world with its worst humanitarian crisis since the 2004 Asian tsunami. The ruling military junta says that more than ... British PM presses Myanmar for unfettered aid access; opposition ... International Herald Tribune all 174 news articles »

A battle for Burma's soul Toronto Star, Canada - ... monks led a weeks-along display of defiance against the regime in the biggest public protests in Burma, also known as Myanmar, since 1988. ...

Thai News Agency MCOT

Myanmar disaster response worst in memory Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates - He warned that many more people could die unless aid reaches the victims in the country, formerly known as Burma. "Hundreds of thousands of lives are ... Intl NGO urges ASEAN to demand access to Myanmar victims ABS CBN News Burma Widens Door for Foreign Aid - Thai Spokesman RedOrbit Samak due in Burma Wednesday Bangkok Post The Spoof (satire) - Times Online all 27 news articles »

Canada.com

New storm deepens misery in cyclone-hit Myanmar Canada.com, Canada - REUTERS/Stringer Despite such scenes and the latest storm, likely to turn already damaged roads to mud, the former Burma's ruling generals insist their ...

AFP	UN humanitarian chief awaits visa for Myanmar mission AFP - Now the junta has sealed off the region to reporters and insists the impoverished country, once a rich British colony known as Burma, can stand on its own. ...

Ron Paul is no compassionate conservative when it comes to Burma
Los Angeles Times, CA -
The Myanmar resolution, like all those goofy pieces of symbolic legislation, would.... ...have done absolutely nothing for the stricken millions. ...

.

NewsHour

For Indiana Community, Myanmar's Cyclone Crisis Hits Home
NewsHour -
That's a long way from their homeland in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. The monastery is one of six Buddhist places of worship in Fort Wayne, ...

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Myanmar / Burma: Musician Win Maw arrested
Freemuse, Denmark -
It is therefore recommended that appeals be sent to the diplomatic representative of Myanmar (Burma) in your own country: • demanding his immediate and ...

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The Irrawaddy News Magazine

Burma braces itself for another cyclone as rulers accused of ...
This is London, UK -
He said that officials told him that quantities of the high-energy biscuits rushed into Myanmar on the World Food Programme's first flights were sent to a ...
Burmese Junta Requests Aid to Rehabilitate Farms Washington Post
Burmese also stopped from giving out food aid Toronto Star
'This aid effort hasn't picked up pace': UN in Burma AOL Canada
The Press Association - Scotsman
all 18 news articles »

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Myanmar Crisis Sparks Debate about Intervention
NPR -
But first, we want to turn our attention to the crisis in Myanmar, the country formally called Burma. International observers believe that last week's ....

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Catholic Leader

Help save Burma
Catholic Leader, Australia -
... merciful and generous by offering aid and working to relieve the suffering caused by Cyclone Nargis, which killed tens of thousands in Myanmar (Burma). ...

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AFP

Myanmar pushing survivors out of monasteries, say monks
AFP -
"The delivery of relief supplies can't be left entirely in the hands of Burma's abusive military, or aid simply won't reach those most in need," said Brad ...

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ABC News

Adm. Keating: 'We're Anxious to Help' ABC News - By JONATHAN KARL, KIRIT RADIA and LUIS MARTINEZ The situation in the hardest-hit areas of cyclone-ravaged Myanmar, also known as Burma, is deteriorating ... US offers to distribute aid rejected by Myanmar Reuters US Boosts Aid, Flights for Myanmar Cyclone Relief (Update1) Bloomberg all 11 news articles »

Turkish Press

Myanmar death toll rises to 43318--state media Inquirer.net, Philippines - YANGON -- The death toll from a cyclone that hit Myanmar on May 3 has risen to 43318 with 27838 missing, state radio and television said Thursday. ... Burma cyclone death toll, 38000 NEWS.com.au Aucklanders invited to join candlight vigil for cyclone victims Scoop.co.nz (press release) Cyclone death toll in Myanmar rises to 34000 ABS CBN News Radio New Zealand - Hindustan Times all 54 news articles »

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Investment practices under fire
Winnipeg Sun, Canada -
"Parliamentary Friends of Burma has been calling for a total ban of the existing investment (in Myanmar) ... we would like them all to be out," said Liberal ...

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Moneybiz

Cyclone hits 20 pct of Myanmar rice fields - FAO guardian.co.uk, UK - Although the former Burma could face a serious shortage of rice, some media reports of a risk of famine were premature. "We do not have data to support this ... Myanmar cyclone damage worsened by loss of mangroves: FAO AFP Burma: cyclone devastates rice market World War 4 Report MYANMAR: Cyclone devastates rice market IRINnews.org ReliefWeb (press release) - Salem-News.Com all 356 news articles »

Operators set up text donation line for Burma victims Mobile Today, UK - The major UK operators have set up a text line to raise money for victims of the Burma / Myanmar disaster. Users are invited to text "DONATE" to 83696, ...

Public health chief and team visit Burma
Bangkok Post, Thailand -
(BangkokPost.com) - Public Health permanent secretary Prat Boonyawongwirot and team flew to Burma on Friday morning to discuss with Burmese officials on ...
Aid-wary Burma allows medics in The Times
WHO says no cholera among Myanmar cyclone victims San Diego Union Tribune
all 71 news articles »

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Turkish Press

Bad weather complicates relief efforts, but Save the Children ...
ReliefWeb (press release), Switzerland -
Weather experts on Wednesday had warned that a new storm was building off the coast of Myanmar, but the chance of a serious storm has been downgraded ...
Group founded by George Clooney, other stars donates $250000 for ... International Herald Tribune
Hollywood stars pledge aid for Myanmar child victims AFP
Brad Pitt and George Clooney’s Charity for Myanmar Just Jared
Inquirer.net
all 64 news articles »

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AFP	Britain pledges more aid for Myanmar cyclone victims AFP - This contribution shows our commitment to supporting the people of Burma." Along with other countries, Britain has voiced frustration at the slowness with ...

Boston Globe

UN plans to send top emergency relief coordinator to Myanmar International Herald Tribune, France - She said Thursday that he hopes to visit the country, also known as Burma, within a week. The UN has been frustrated by the government's obstacles to ... Britain urges UN meet on Burma The Times UN Chief To Send Senior Envoy To Myanmar RTT News Go into Burma with guns blazing The State France24 - The Australian all 886 news articles »

National Geographic

Myanmar's Jeweled Temple Damaged National Geographic, DC - May 14, 2008—Blue tarps drape the spires of the ancient Shwedagon Paya temple complex in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma), on May 12, nine days after Cyclone Nargis ... After cyclone, Myanmar astrologers see more tragedy in 2008 AFP Cyclone victim prefers ruins over government camp Reuters all 18 news articles »

Cyclone videos selling in Burma
The Times, South Africa -
YANGON - Graphic videos showing corpses of cyclone victims and the ruins of villages are being snapped up on the streets of Myanmar, giving people here ...

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ITV.com

Myanmar cyclone: Forced labour camp fears
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom -
By Graeme Jenkins in Rangoon Survivors of the Burma cyclone are being forced into government camps amid fears they will be used as forced labour. ...
Angry UN puts pressure on Burma junta Melbourne Herald Sun
Saving Burma TIME
Monsoon conditions forecast for Burma ABC Online
United Press International - eFluxMedia
all 78 news articles »

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Javno.hr

British public save lives in Myanmar
ReliefWeb (press release), Switzerland -
The British public’s donations to the DEC Myanmar (Burma) Cyclone Appeal have so far helped to raise £6 million of life-saving funds reaching at least ...
'They didn't stand a chance ... bodies strewn all over' guardian.co.uk
Urgent call made for support as Welsh Burma appeal is launched ic Wales
Myanmar: Delivering vital health care to survivors of Cyclone Nargis ReliefWeb (press release)
ReliefWeb (press release) - ReliefWeb (press release)
all 156 news articles »

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Christian Science Monitor

Burma: monks vs. junta Christian Science Monitor, MA - ... Thailand - The longstanding tensions between the two largest organizations in Burma (Myanmar) – the military and the Buddhist clergy – are finding new ... Myanmar junta creating another 'catastrophe' by stonewalling on ... San Francisco Chronicle all 5 news articles »

KPIC

Emergency appeal for victims of the Cyclone Nargis disaster in ... ReliefWeb (press release), Switzerland - As heavy rains continue to batter victims of the recent cyclone in Myanmar / Burma, the United Nations estimates that 1.5 million people remain in urgent ... No second cyclone but heavy rains threaten Burma Bangkok Post More rain in Myanmar but no sign of new cyclone-UN Reuters India Second cyclone could hit Burma Belfast Telegraph CNN - Telegraph.co.uk all 121 news articles »

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Malaysia Star

Canada involved in plans for controversial Myanmar summit
Canada.com, Canada -
The central problem has been Myanmar's poor political relations with the West - not least with Britain, the one-time colonial power in the former Burma. ...
UN plans to send top emergency relief coordinator to Myanmar International Herald Tribune
UN Chief To Send Senior Envoy To Myanmar RTT News
Different responses to disasters in Myanmar, China The Associated Press
Reuters - Reuters
all 1,055 news articles »

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AFP	Britain pledges more aid for Myanmar cyclone victims AFP - This contribution shows our commitment to supporting the people of Burma." Along with other countries, Britain has voiced frustration at the slowness with ...

National Geographic

Myanmar's Jeweled Temple Damaged National Geographic, DC - May 14, 2008—Blue tarps drape the spires of the ancient Shwedagon Paya temple complex in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma), on May 12, nine days after Cyclone Nargis ... After cyclone, Myanmar astrologers see more tragedy in 2008 AFP Cyclone victim prefers ruins over government camp Reuters all 18 news articles »

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Radio Australia

CRWRC aid to Myanmar cyclone survivors ReliefWeb (press release), Switzerland - CRWRC’s local partner in Burma/Myanmar then purchases food and supplies from local suppliers, and suppliers from border countries like Thailand. ... Burma's neighbors step in Christian Science Monitor Trudy Rubin: UN can and should step in in Myanmar Dallas Morning News Shilo and Ogilvy, Amsterdam's Mission to Burma Creativity CNN International - Amnesty International UK all 149 news articles »

MSN India

TOM WATKINS: The people of Burma/Myanmar are swamped - please help Novi News, MI - ... devastation that surrounds many in Michigan, it may be difficult to hear the cries for help half way around the world in Myanmar, also known as Burma. ... Myanmar says military-backed constitution overwhelmingly approved ... ABC News Myanmar says constitution approved by 92.4 percent AFP Myanmar's murderous regime shows the limits of politics Calgary Herald ABC Online - Reuters India all 230 news articles »

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The Irrawaddy News Magazine

Burma: Nature’s wrath, junta’s indifference
Inquirer.net, Philippines -
By Raul Pangalangan MANILA, Philippines—It is difficult to understand why Burma’s (Myanmar’s) generals are bullheaded in rejecting foreign assistance for ...
UN calls emergency meeting on Burma ABC Online
CORRECTED-Anger mounts in Bangkok at Myanmar aid visa delays Reuters
First German Aid Arrives in Burma Deutsche Welle
Mizzima.com - San Francisco Chronicle
all 1,173 news articles »

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Boston Globe

Canada involved in plans for controversial Myanmar summit
Canada.com, Canada -
The central problem has been Myanmar's poor political relations with the West - not least with Britain, the one-time colonial power in the former Burma. ...
British prime minister seeks emergency UN summit on Myanmar aid International Herald Tribune
Britain urges UN meet on Burma The Times
Britain seeks emergency summit on Myanmar, as UN meets AFP
Reuters South Africa - Reuters
all 132 news articles »

By Aung Hla Tun

YANGON (Reuters) - Torrential tropical downpours lashed Myanmar's Irrawaddy delta on Friday, deepening the misery of an estimated 2.5 million destitute survivors of Cyclone Nargis and further hampering the military government's aid efforts.

Read the rest:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080516/wl_
nm/myanmar_cyclone_dc_128

YANGON (AFP) - The European Union's aid chief said Friday he had made no breakthroughs on a trip to Myanmar aimed at pushing the ruling generals to open up to foreign assistance, two weeks after the cyclone tragedy.

Louis Michel said he had not yet won permission to visit the disaster zone in the country's southwest, and had only been told his requests for visas for more international experts would be considered.

"In a few days, if I have no concrete answer on all these questions, then I can put a judgement, but now I cannot," the EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner told AFP in an interview.

The Irrawaddy Delta region in the southwest, which bore the brunt of the massive storm that hit on May 3, is largely off limits to foreigners including international staff for aid agencies operating in Myanmar.

Read the rest:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080516/ts_afp/
myanmarcyclone_080516080826

... nothing terrifies a repressive regime quite like a natural disaster. Authoritarian states rule by fear and by projecting an aura of total control. When they suddenly seem short-staffed, absent or disorganized, their subjects can become dangerously emboldened. It's something to keep in mind as two of the most repressive regimes on the planet--China and Burma--struggle to respond to devastating disasters: the Sichuan earthquake and Cyclone Nargis. In both cases, the disasters have exposed grave political weaknesses within the regimes--and both crises have the potential to ignite levels of public rage that would be difficult to control.

Cyclone Nargis may have done more than just wreck Burma's cities.

It may also spell doom for the government.

More PHOTOS in Newsweek

The Horror after the Rain

 Burma deaths spiral as aid is blocked

The massive storm that hit Burma on May 2 could not have come at a worse time for the generals who rule the country. As Cyclone Nargis raged toward them across the Indian Ocean, Burma's military government was busy preparing for a referendum—originally scheduled for May 10—they hoped would ratify a new constitution legalizing military rule.

In fact, the generals were so preoccupied with making sure their new charter would pass smoothly that they played down urgent warnings from India and others of the impending cyclone, according to foreign wire reports. That delay would prove fatal to legions of their subjects who were caught unawares. Now, with roughly 17,330 square kilometers of Burma underwater and tens of thousands confirmed dead, the generals have reluctantly agreed to postpone balloting in two of the worst-hit provinces—but, incredibly, have insisted it will go as planned in the country's north.

Yet even if the vote passes, the ruthless soldiers who have ruled this Asian state since 1962 may have made their final blunder—or at least started a process that will lead to their eventual downfall.

From Mexico City to Managua to the Middle Kingdom_

• natural disasters in the past have had a way of undermining ruthless and incompetent leaders.
• The process can take years.
• But once set in motion, the forces unleashed by a destructive natural event—
• and a ham-handed government response—can prove as unstoppable as a