Burma Votes Amid Cyclone Chaos

Anti-government groups enraged by timing of announcement

(NEWSER) - Burmese voters overwhelmingly approved a constitution legitimizing military rule, the junta announced to widespread skepticism today. The vote held Saturday did not include two cyclone-ravaged areas where aid to victims is still largely being blocked by the government, but state media said those votes couldn't change the outcome. Turnout elsewhere was pegged at 99%, with 92.4% voting yes. More»

Upcoming vote could challenge government

(NEWSER) - The devastation of cyclone Nargis could spur stronger opposition to Burma’s ruling junta, the Christian Science Monitor reports. “It could be quite catalytic, like the [2004] tsunami in Aceh,” says a regional aid director. The government, reluctant to allow outside aid, has struggled to cope with the disaster, and Saturday’s constitutional referendum may be an opportunity for Burmese to retaliate. More»

President signs act awarding Congressional Gold Medal to Suu Kyi

(NEWSER) - President Bush today expressed “heartfelt sympathy” to the victims of the Myanmar cyclone and called on the ruling junta to allow the US to offer more help, the Voice of America reports. The government has accepted $250,000 of US aid but balked at letting US Navy rescue teams assist in finding the 41,000 people who remain missing. More»

(NEWSER) - The Burmese court trying Aung San Suu Kyi has postponed its verdict for two weeks, surprising her supporters and foreign observers who expected a finding of guilt today. Although the court said it needed more time to decide the case, one diplomat told the Times of London that the junta may be "trying to deflate the foreign reaction." Another possibility: numerologists may have told the extremely superstitious generals to wait for a more auspicious day. More»

Villagers tough it out through cyclone's aftermath

(NEWSER) - Delays in getting help to cyclone survivors in Burma's Irrawaddy Delta have not caused the catastrophe initially feared, according to aid workers. Hardy villagers have managed to survive on fish and coconuts, helped by aid from private Burmese citizens and monks, reports the New York Times. Expected massive outbreaks of disease have not occurred—but aid workers warn that many are still at risk. More»