04 June 2008 : Burma News Extra
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Amid aid delays, locals in Burma (Myanmar) rebuild
Burma: 1.3 Million Not Getting Aid
U.S. warships to leave Myanmar after aid refused
Burma Global Action Network (BGAN) Newsletter
Britain pledges £10.5m more for Myanmar cyclone victims
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Amid aid delays, locals in Burma (Myanmar) rebuild
By a correspondent
Mon Jun 2, 4:00 AM ET
Flying home, Burmese sailors are awestruck when they see the Irrawaddy Delta below them. Four weeks after cyclone Nargis hit, much of the delta is still underwater, a murky inland sea of swollen rivers and flooded fields, dotted with soggy clumps of thatch and bamboo that used to be villages teeming with children and water buffaloes.
But then hope emerges: Workers are carving out a second strip at the sparkling new Mingaladon airport, where immigration officers stamp in planeloads of foreign aid workers and Burmese are returning home with handy tools such as electric chain saws.
A small number of foreign relief experts have been allowed into the delta in the past few days. Steve Goudswaard, an expert in responding quickly to disasters and assessing immediate needs, was the first foreigner from World Vision to venture into the delta, which has been off limits to most foreign aid workers until recently. He says it took him almost a week after United Nations chief Ban Ki Moon's historic visit with Burma's leader, Senior Gen. Than Shwe, to finally get government permission to go beyond Rangoon, as local officials in the delta interpret the policy in their own ways.
"The government made a decision in principle, and then it had to work out the details later," he says, after returning to a hotel in central Rangoon from a two-day trip into the delta. "Nobody really knew how the agreement would be applied. It wasn't a simple procedure. We've been trying to work out the system at the same time as the government."
"We were told it would take 48 hours advance notice for clearance. Now we're finding out it's taking 72," he adds.
About 45 UN visa requests have been approved since General Shwe promised last week to allow in "all" legitimate foreign aid workers.
"We haven't been able to get the whole mechanism going. Progress has been slow," Hakan Tongul, deputy director in Burma of the UN's World Food Program, told Reuters.
Burmese leaders rejected criticism of its handling of aid efforts Sunday, after US Defense Secretary Robert Gates accused the generals ruling the country of "criminal neglect."
Burma's deputy defense minister, Aye Myint, in Singapore for a security conference also attended by Mr. Gates, insisted that the government had acted swiftly and was open to foreign aid with "no strings attached." "Through the prompt and immediate supervision of the supervisory central body headed by the prime minister and member ministers, relief camps and hospitals were opened, debris was cleared, emergency power and water supply restored," Mr. Myint said.
Along with Burmese staff and an Indonesian, Mr. Goudswaard took a boat for six hours toward Ngapadaw in the southwest delta, then a smaller boat for two hours to the outer edge allowed by his permit. Beyond lay remote areas where it's not known if anyone has survived, or been reached.
His crew stopped at an expanse of muddy water – what used to be the village of Aut Pyun, home to 127 families. Winds were so strong that they cracked open concrete beams and pulverized brick walls of a school. Only 300 people, about half the population, survived.
Expecting to find people stunned and depressed, he was surprised to see locals rebuilding their homes with the help of organized Burmese relief volunteers and the leadership of monks. "They've bounced back very quickly.... The shock of losing their families is etched in their faces. But they're also taking the initiative to help themselves," he says.
As a member of World Vision's Global Rapid Response Team, Goudswaard has seen many disasters, but this might be the worst. "The impact is probably greater here than the tsunami had in Aceh or Sri Lanka, because it's also the rice bowl...." he says.
Yet many survivors escaped by hurrying to the nearby village of Phing Angon, and into a home opened by four sisters. Monks from across the country then led the relief effort.
The official press in Rangoon is full of tales of local heroism. A headline in the state-run New Light of Myanmar: "Everybody may make donations freely. Everybody may make donations to any person or any area. However, well-wishers are urged to avoid unsystematic donations and acts that may tarnish the image of the nation and its people."
With supplies brought in by compassionate locals, the survivors went to work, rethatching their houses, and covering a clinic with tarps donated by USAID. Goudswaard saw them trying to drain salt out of what used to be a freshwater pond, and collecting rain water in sturdy traditional jars that withstood the winds.
After waiting for two weeks for access, he appeared relieved to finally get the chance to put his field expertise to work. With four planes bringing supplies in the last two days on what he calls "the United Nations air bridge" from Bangkok to Rangoon's sparkling new airport, "it's starting to move as it should," he says.
Goudswaard says it's challenging to make an accurate needs assessment due to the lack of information from the government. The "life-saving stage is probably past us," he says, but steps for the next phase include: providing temporary shelter and helping people rebuild their livelihoods such as by planting rice.
•The writer could not be named for security reasons. Wire services were used.
Copyright © 2008 The Christian Science Monitor
Copyright © 2008 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
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Burma: 1.3 Million Not Getting Aid
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1811382,00.html
(BANGKOK, Thailand) — More than 1 million people still don't have adequate food, water or shelter a month after a devastating cyclone swept through Burma, and it's not clear what the military junta is doing to help them, the United Nations said Tuesday.
Humanitarian groups say they continue to face hurdles from Burma's military government in sending disaster experts and vital equipment into the country. As a result, only a trickle of aid is reaching the storm's estimated 2.4 million survivors, leaving many without even basic relief.
Aid groups are unable to provide 1.3 million survivors with sufficient food and clean water, while trying to prevent a second wave of deaths from malnutrition and disease, the U.N. said in its latest assessment report.
Of the 1 million people who are getting help, most have been "reached with inconsistent levels of assistance," the U.N. said.
"There remains a serious lack of sufficient and sustained humanitarian assistance for the affected populations, " the report said.
It also said the world body lacked "a clear understanding of the support being provided by the Government of Burma to its people."
It's shocking that cyclone victims still need basic relief after four weeks, said Sarah Ireland, regional director of the British aid organization Oxfam, which is trying to get permission to work in Burma.
"If we were in a normal response by week four, those affected should be working toward recovery," she said Monday. "They would be in a position perhaps to think about what they need to restart their lives. But we know people on the ground don't have food to eat."
Tidal surges as high as 12 feet reached some 25 miles inland as the cyclone churned through the country for two days beginning May 2. The storm laid entire villages in the Irrawaddy delta to waste and left 78,000 people dead and another 56,000 missing, according to the government's count.
But the relief has yet to match the scale of the disaster.
A big obstacle in providing relief has been reaching the delta. With only seven government helicopters operating, most relief supplies are being transported along dirt roads and by boat. Vessels able to navigate the debris-filled canals are scarce and efforts to import trucks and other vehicles have been hampered by governmental red tape.
"For aid agencies it is very important that those affected receive a full complement of appropriate aid," said James East, a spokesman for World Vision, a private aid agency operating in Burma even before the disaster. "To say that a certain percentage of people have received aid means little because some survivors may have received a tarpaulin but no food and vice versa."
Stories have emerged of survivors going days without food or being forced to drink from dirty canals. The Associated Press has interviewed survivors in recent days who still have not received any government or international assistance and turned to the country's revered monks for help.
Human rights groups have also accused Burma's military rulers of kicking homeless cyclone survivors out of camps, schools and monasteries and sending them back to their devastated villages to help restore the country's agriculture sector.
"It's unconscionable for Burma's generals to force cyclone victims back to their devastated homes," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Claiming a 'return to normalcy' is no basis for returning people to greater misery and possible death."
Burma's xenophobic military regime left survivors to largely fend for themselves. It barred foreigners from the delta until last week and refused entry to U.S. and French aid-laden naval vessels, which have been idling off the country's coast.
The junta's response was in stark contrast to that of Indonesia's Aceh province during the 2004 tsunami and Pakistan during its 2005 earthquake. Both countries allowed in hundreds of international aid groups and set aside their suspicions to let American troops ferry aid and evacuate survivors from remote areas.
The lack of foreign experts in the field has meant a chaotic and uneven aid effort, aid organizations said. Without them, it is nearly impossible to asses needs of survivors or set up systems that would now be in place in a normal disaster response, the groups said.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is still waiting for government approval to send six foreign experts into the field to help run its water treatment facilities. Until now, it has been able to provide only 5,000 people each day with clean water.
"It was much easier to get medical supplies, clean water, engineers and psychological consultants into the field in Aceh within the first month," IFRC spokesman France Hurtubise said. "Human resources and expertise remain a challenge in Burma."
One small sign of progress was registered Monday: except in the areas most devastated by the cyclone, most schools opened as scheduled at the end of a break that started in March.
In many cases, school buildings were still missing windows and parts of their roofs gone, but UNICEF and other education experts agreed that getting children back to their studies as soon as possible was an important part of the healing process.
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U.S. warships to leave Myanmar after aid refused
Reuters
Tue Jun 3, 11:48 PM ET
U.S. warships will soon leave waters near Myanmar after the ruling military junta refused permission for the delivery of aid supplies to the cyclone-stricken Irrawaddy delta, a top U.S. commander said on Wednesday.
Admiral Timothy Keating said the USS Essex group will sail away from the former Burma on Thursday but leave several heavy-lift helicopters in neighboring Thailand to assist in the relief effort.
"Should the Burmese rulers have a change of heart and request our full assistance for their suffering we are prepared to help," Keating, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, said in a statement.
Myanmar has been promised millions of dollars in aid from the United States, other governments and aid organizations.
But the junta has refused to allow the U.S. military to help distribute aid to affected areas, appearing due to fear that a large-scale international relief effort would loosen the grip the generals have held since a 1962 coup.
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej told visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Bangkok on Sunday that the junta had rejected foreign military help in delivered cyclone aid because it feared it could be seen as an invasion.
Keating said they had made 15 attempts over the past three weeks to convince the regime to allow in U.S. helicopters and landing craft, "but they have refused us each and every time."
The United States had delivered more than 2 million lbs of relief supplies on 106 airlifts to Myanmar since the first U.S. military aid flight on May 12, Keating said.
(Reporting by Darren Schuettler; Editing by Ed Davies and Valerie Lee)
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BURMA GLOBAL ACTION NETWORK (BGAN) NEWSLETTER
June 3, 2008
(Internet Activism Organization Effectively Supporting The Freedom Of Civilians and Monks Of Burma Through Internet Networking)
CYCLONE NARGIS
One month after Cyclone Nargis hit Burma - did you know that 60% of the Cyclone Victims have not received aid yet? The Military Dictators are still presenting a challenge for the International Aid workers to get to the Delta Regions of Burma, the worst hit areas. 2.5 Million lives at risk of hunger, disease and death. Please visit our Cyclone Nargis Relief Page.
To find out how you can help, there you will find:
* Where to donate
* Petitions
* Campaigns
* Events
* Videos
* Photos
* Maps
* Statements
* Latest statistics
AUNG SAN SUU KYI
Elected prime minister of Burma Aung San Suu Kyi have been placed under house arrest for 13 years, however her sentence ends as of May 27th, 2008 according to her legal representatives. Instead of being freed for time served, the military dictators have extended her house arrest by one more year while breaking their own law. Please see the press release by her council and the read the legal memorandum on her detention from Aung San Suu Kyi's legal council for detailed information on the law in which Aung San Suu Kyi is detained under.
CAMPAIGNS TO FOCUS
* A campaign by U.S. Campaign For Burma. 30 DAYS FOR A MILLION VOICES CAMPAIGN (For 30 days leading celebrities will release videos about Burma's Struggle for human rights. Tune in everyday and help us build 1 million voices of support!) 50,000 people have signed up already, but it’s not 1 million. You can help reach that goal by simply just signing up on U.S. Campaign for Burma’s website.
* We created this site because we wanted a space where everyday people could show that although the media spotlight over Burma may have dimmed, we are still thinking of Burma.
* All you have to do is upload a picture of support with a message ‘Don’t Forget Burma.’ If you want to submit a photo of support, go straight to this page.
* A New Campaign by MTV: Viral. A beautiful video about Burma, check it out at http://www.noneofusarefree.org
* Ladies, send your panties to the Burmese Dictators!! The Military Regime of Burma are very superstitious and believes that women undergarments or clothing is bad luck. So this wonderful women organization called Lana Action For Burma launched this easy yet awareness boost campaign calling on all the women in the world to send their panties to the Burmese officials like the Burmese embassy in your city!
* Raising and Donating money to the Cyclone Nargis relief just by folding origamis!! It’s easy and anyone can participate.
* Non-boycott campaign urging the government of China to respect human rights and to stop supporting the Burmese Junta.
* Take Action: Email the IOC we’re asking people to take 2 minutes to email the International Olympic Committee. Tell them to use their open channel to Beijing to urge Chinese action to bring aid and freedom to Burma. Take Action Now
Support 2 Students Walking 3000 Miles Across USA For Burma's Freedom
* THE WALK FOR FREEDOM! CAMPAIGN!! (Support the 2 students walking 3000 MILES across U.S.A. from Portland, OR to New York, NY to hand deliver the petition to the United Nations demanding action for Free Burma!)
OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP
Spread the Word about the conflict & atrocities in Burma
* Join Our Networks : on the front page of our website you’ll find a list of social networks you can join.
Benefits Of Registered Users Of BGAN – Start utilizing the different tools available
* BGAN Chat – Just click on the link and enter your password to go straight to the BGAN chat and start sharing your thoughts.
* Discussion Forum – Visit our forum and discuss about the issues regarding the Burma conflict
* Upload Videos – Members have access to our videos page where you can upload any format videos on our website, whether it’s from Youtube, Google videos or where ever else.
* Newsletters – Members will receive updates just like this one, when ever there is important news about the Free Burma Movement.
* Important Breaking News – Members will receive breaking news about anything critical that you need to know now.
TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO JOIN BGAN
* Just sign up with your email address and you will have access to all the member tools!
* Tell your friends, co-workers, family, politicians and everyone else you can think of.
* Let’s move away from the saying ‘Underground Free Burma Movement’ and lets move on to ‘Mainstream Free Burma Movement’.
* It’s time the world learns the suffering endured by the people of Burma.
VOLUNTEER WITH BGAN
* BGAN is actively looking for VOLUNTEERS, so if you're interested please email us at info@burma-network.org .
* We are a new organization and we want you to help how much ever you can.
* We are mainly an online, internet activism organization so most of your volunteering will be online. If you can contribute just one hour a day would mean the world to BGAN. So join us!
Sincerely,
Burma Global Action Network (BGAN) Team
http://www.burma-network.org
http://www.dontforgetburma.org
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Peaceful Burma (blogspot)
http://peacefulburma.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-point-of-view-on-national-referendum.html
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Britain pledges £10.5m more for Myanmar cyclone victims
AFP
1 hour, 10 minutes ago
Britain has pledged an additional 10.5 million pounds in aid for cyclone victims in Myanmar, taking the total to more than 27 million pounds.
In a statement to the House of Commons Tuesday, International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander warned that the situation in the aftermath of cyclone Nargis "remains extremely grave" with "millions of people in desperate need".
"In addition to our previous commitment of 17 million pounds, I am today announcing a further 10.5 million pounds," Alexander said.
"These additional funds will be channelled through the Red Cross, NGOs and local community-based organisations," he said, insisting that none of the aid would pass through the country's military regime.
"Our priority remains to get assistance to those that need it."
Alexander added that, while Britain was focused on providing help, "this does not diminish our commitment to the restoration of accountable, democratic government in Burma," referring to the country by its former name.
He said he was "disappointed and saddened" that the regime had extended pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's detention further, and added that results from Myanmar's constitutional referendum "lack all credibility" as they were held in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone.
Cyclone Nargis left 133,000 people dead or missing when it ploughed across Myanmar one month ago, laying waste to vital farmlands and wiping villages off the map.
For the first three weeks after the storm, Myanmar stonewalled international efforts to deliver aid, yielding only after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon paid a personal visit there to meet with junta leader Than Shwe.
Ban left Myanmar saying he had convinced the senior general to allow a full-scale relief effort, but days later, UN agencies said access remains spotty, with only a handful of foreign aid workers actually in the worst-hit parts of the Irrawaddy Delta.
Alexander said that the regime's promises to Ban "must be turned into action".
The UN has said that about 1.3 million people out of the 2.4 million affected by the cyclone have now received some form of foreign aid.
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