Myanmar capital in sharp contrast to cyclone zone

By JOHN HEILPRIN, Associated Press Writer

Following are excerpts from original News report

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar – Getting to see one of the world’s most reclusive military strongmen requires a VIP flight, armed escorts and soldiers pointing the way — not to mention a disaster of epic proportions.

Even a calamity the size of Cyclone Nargis hasn’t stopped construction in the newly built capital of Naypyitaw (nay-pee-DAW), Senior Gen. Than Shwe‘s extravagant vanity project. The junta leader and his team of generals have overseen its making since 2005.

Than Shwe‘s rising Shangri-La of officialdom contrasts starkly with the misery in the rest of the country, one of the poorest and most repressed in the world.

A sign outside one government office read, “Can I Help You?” But a few hundred miles south, that was an offer in short supply where thousands of homeless survivors begged for food on the roadsides.

read about the luxurious Nay Pyi Taw of Burmese Dictators at

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080529/ap_on_re_as/myanmar_junta_s_hideout

to see the photos of Jungle Palace

“Cyclone Nargis” unmasked who is who for Burma

Photo Momakha ( Our situation… .? As you see in this photo. Village name U To, Total Home 126,Pop 660, Dead, Adult 76, Children 17+, Home Destroyed 63 )

Cyclone Nargis has already taken the lives of several hundred thousand Burmese. Exact number of death caused by cyclone will never be known to all of us, as Burmese Junta seems to be busy counting the lost of livestock, with very impressive statistics of dead Chicken, Ducks and Cows, revealed to the shocked local and international media during a press conference.

While estimated two to two and a half million survivors of cyclone desperately hang on their lives, Military Junta of Burma, and International community were at loggerhead, unable to get an agreement how to save the lives for those who were in immediate danger.

Cyclone Nargis has revealed the real nature of who is who, for the sake of Burmese people.

Burnt Emabassy is waiting for those who wish to apply Burmese Visa

By SUTIN WANNABOVORN,Associated Press Writer AP – Monday, May 26

BANGKOK, Thailand – Fire ripped through part of Myanmar’s embassy in Thailand on Monday, closing the visa section and dashing the hopes of many aid workers anxiously waiting to enter the cyclone-ravaged country.

“I was told by officials at Myanmar’s embassy that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit in a very old communications device sitting on the wooden floor,” said Prawit Phanuwiroj, chief of Bangrak district where the embassy is located.

Burmese Junta playing game using UN Chief and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Burmese Junta has allowed this kind of publicity shows whenever they were in crisis

Burmese Junta Supremo General Than Shwe finally allow UN Chief Ban Ki Moon audience in Nay Pyi Daw. Burmese Junta has effectively used UN envoys from Razali Islmail to Ibrahim Gambari for time buying purpose, whenever they were in Crisis. This time they have used UN chief for time buying, to ease the International pressure. Looking at the past history of Military Junta, they have given promises and broken them easily on several occasions.

Rumors, according to Mizzima news, spreading in Rangoon that detained pro democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest.

Junta may release Daw Aung San Suu kyi at any time to divert the attention and to ease the international pressure as they can always put her to house arrest anytime they wish. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, if released in this time, will be definitely for the time buying purpose to ease the International Pressure.

What is the purpose of all these International pressure for ? To allow the international aids and experts to the worse effected area to save the live of thousands of people . Whether the help will be with the strings or not, as Junta accused, is depending on the action and inaction of the Junta. Again Junta is weighing the risk of possible adverse effect to their absolute power by allowing the US marines to be landed in Cyclone hit area together with French and British Naval vessels at Burmese ports.

However the price that has to be paid according to the Burmese General’s game plan this time, will be lives of thousands of fortunate but unfortunate survivors of Cyclone Nargis.

Sit Mone

Who is responsible for the post- cyclone death in Burma?

Cyclone Nargis has struck Burma’s Southern Delta area on 2^nd of May, 2008. Exactly after three weeks, Senior General Than Shwe has given a green light to allow all the nationalities of this world to help the estimated 2.5 million Cyclone survivors.

How long a person can survive without clean water and food?

Physicians have indicated that in order for a person to survive without having a meal, they would need to endure some sort of mental transition in advance to be prepared for survival. Medical experts have explained that individuals would need to have a strong desire for survival in the midst of starvation in order to overcome the situation. A person who resigns himself/herself to death as an easy way out of the starvation dilemma will likely die much faster than the one who is committed to surviving the famine. Once this survival message is communicated through the brain, an individual can actually go on for days without feeling the effects of starvation. The critical period is first three weeks after disaster.

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Do you think Burmese cyclone survivors have strong desire to survive?

Unlikely, for the adult survivors, whose family members were perished with the cyclone. They may have severe post traumatic stress and depression. Living without human dignity is another issue for those who were immediately became homeless and penniless people. Post- Cyclone environment in villages, with rotten bodies floating around them and damage homes and fallen tree without help may cause extreme form of desperation, which may lead to depression or aggression to the survivors.

Bogus Cyclone Victims in Camps, Genuine victims forced back home in Burma

This blogger has read of hints of the presence of bogus refugees in a Cyclone victim camp in the Delta area of Burma, from local news. A donor, and citizen reporter , according to an Exile Journal has traveled all the way to Maaubin, which is 50 miles south of Rangoon. After passing several check points manned by soldiers, she managed to locate a Monastery, which houses thousands of people.

While Chinese hearts beat as one, Burmese hearts ache for millions

“Chinese hearts beat as one,” went the national slogan after the Sichuan earthquake. This blogger fully agree with the Slogan for Chinese people after seeing the following photos;

But Burmese hearts ache for millions of cyclone victims neglected by a regime with no heart at all.

A Blogger and volunteer’s real life experience with Cyclone Nargis victims; ” Laputta”

Following is the simple translation of Blogger Nyi Lynn Seck and his volunteer team Handy Myanmar Youth’s experience with Cyclone Nargis Victims in Delta Town of Laputta ( This blogger has left message in his wonderful post regarding intention of translating his post for International readers, Hope Nyi Lynn Seck will understand this blogger’s sincere intention to let the people out there know the good deeds of Myanmar Volunteers)

I have just come back from Laputta , today for an important reason that I need to attend to. Three members of our volunteer team stayed behind. We have managed to bring in aid for 500 people yesterday. Let me explain the real situation down there. It is true that people are willing to donate for the cyclone victims with very good intention; however they should understand the difficulties faced by small volunteer group like ours. I am unable to relate all the problems faced by us due to reasons all should understand. I will be recounting the general problems faced by volunteers.

Transportation of Aid packages

All the donors want to make sure their donation is received by the cyclone victims. That is why we received aid packages and money. We have donated our noble service instead of money and aid packages. Piles of clothes have reached our homes. First, we had to shoulder these piles of clothes up to our homes. Some, we had to collect from the donors. Once all the clothes were packed properly, the next step was to weigh the exact weight of the packed donated clothes. This was followed by the preparation to transport aid packages to Laputta. Do not think that it was an easy way to Laputta, if so everybody would be going to Laputta for their own donation. It takes a twelve hour drive to Laputta, with several check points. The maximum weight allowed is not more than ten tons. Once aids arrives to Laputta, we have to carry the packages to transfer them to the storage. For further distribution to cyclone victims, again, we had to look for cars and boats. The situation of the roads in the delta was really terrible.

Accommodation

It was most difficult to find a suitable accommodation in Laputta. Most of the small hotels and big houses still intact after the cyclone, were taken (even with yearly contract) by big guns and other organizations. We can not afford this. Finally we managed to get a small room, next to a local bar. Upstairs was always noisy with the voices of some“ladies”. This small room has only two beds, which cannot be fitted with mosquito nets. Mosquitoes were our worst enemies for us at night. However we had to stay put as there was no other choice.

Storage Place for Aid

Cyclone Nargis and a volunteer’s encounter with the dead

The following photos are copied from Nyi Lynn Seck blog. This blogger would like to advise Burmese readers to read the rest of the post of a volunteer’s experience at Nyi Lynn Seck Blog.

Non Burmese readers should visit following link to see what happened to those unfortunate people from Luputta and to pay condolence to the unfortunate Yay Wai villagers at Picasa web( also Nyi Lynn Seck’s photos)

Is It Time to Invade Burma?

The disaster in Burma presents the world with perhaps its most serious humanitarian crisis since the 2004 Asian tsunami. By most reliable estimates, close to 100,000 people are dead. Delays in delivering relief to the victims, the inaccessibility of the stricken areas and the poor state of Burma’s infrastructure and health systems mean that number is sure to rise. With as many as 1 million people still at risk, it is conceivable that the death toll will, within days, approach that of the entire number of civilians killed in the genocide in Darfur.

Read the fully report by By ROMESH RATNESAR from Time Magazine, Friday May 16