Thursday, May 15th, 2008
Daily Archive
Alert to Burmanet Readers
Thu 15 May 2008 Filed under: News
From the Editor:
Many photos have been circulating around the internet depicting the damage and destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis. While many of these images are from reputable sources such as the Democratic Voice of Burma and the Associated Press, others in fact cannot be verified as having truly been taken from the Irrawaddy delta region. Shockingly gruesome photos of victims of the Asian tsunami of 2004 are circulating and being passed off as Burmese cyclone victims. This could have serious consequences, compounding the difficulty of the already complicated efforts to coax the Burmese regime to let in aid and aid workers. Therefore, we encourage you to be vigilant and practice caution when attributing anonymous photos about Cyclone Nargis. Be sure to examine the photo accreditation in order to ensure that the images you are viewing have come from a trusted source. If in doubt, don’t send it.
Regards,
Burmanet Editor
Burma’s main opposition party – the National League for Democracy – said the results of the May 10 referendum lack credibility and legitimacy and do not reflect the desire of voters. (more…)
Myanmar’s military-backed constitution was approved by 92.4 percent in a widely condemned referendum held everywhere except regions hardest hit by Cyclone Nargis, state television said Thursday. (more…)
Myanmar’s junta warned Thursday that legal action would be taken against people who trade or hoard international aid as the cyclone’s death toll soared above 43,000. (more…)
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. (more…)
International aid groups have sent hundreds of tons of emergency supplies to Burma’s cyclone victims, but local aid workers say no aid is reaching huge numbers of homeless in the Irrawaddy delta, 13 days after the devastation. (more…)
Normally, at this time of year, Burmese farmers in the southern delta of Myanmar would be draining their rice paddies, plowing their fields with their water buffaloes and preparing to plant new seeds for an autumn harvest. (more…)
Tens of thousands of cyclone survivors are on the move in Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Delta after their homes, families and livelihoods were wiped out by the devastating storm, posing challenges for international relief workers trying to reach them. (more…)
A team of experts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) was due to arrive in Rangoon on Thursday to assess the scale of the cyclone disaster and relief requirements. (more…)
A senior Asean official said yesterday the group would activate all necessary emergency mechanisms for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in Burma after Cyclone Nargis killed tens of thousands people. (more…)
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. (more…)
The UN intends to send a top official to Burma to persuade the military rulers to accept foreign assistance, says Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. (more…)
Countries sending cyclone aid to Burma must monitor it closely to stop the military regime seizing supplies, a leading rights group has said. (more…)
A friend of mine in Rangoon called me this morning. “It’s depressing and upsetting—people in the delta region are desperately scavenging for food and aid,” he said, having just returned from a charity mission to the devastated area. (more…)
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: (more…)