Monks lead aid effort pushed by government reluctance
Wall Street Journal May 23, 08 2:11 PM CDT
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Although Burma’s junta relented today and allowed in foreign aid workers, weeks of delays and restrictions have led to the formation of an underground network of volunteers led by monks, Internet activists, and pro-democracy students. The Wall Street Journal looks at their efforts, which risk the wrath of the government but often provide the only life-sustaining aid for residents in the hardest-hit regions.
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Junta drops opposition to aid workers entering country
Bloomberg May 23, 08 5:34 AM CDT
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Burma has agreed to let international disaster relief workers into the country to help with the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, Bloomberg reports. The junta's about-face came after UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who flew in yesterday, met the nation's reclusive military leader, Senior Gen. Than Shwe. The UN hopes to ramp up operations in the Irrawaddy Delta, where over a million cyclone survivors are thought to be in urgent need of assistance.
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Junta refuses US supplies waiting nearby
Reuters May 22, 08 7:07 AM CDT
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UN chief Ban Ki-Moon witnessed cyclone damage in Burma today, on a trip to bring the devastated country a “message of hope” and push the junta to allow international aid for the millions left destitute, Reuters reports. “I'm quite confident we will be able to overcome this tragedy,” he said. But his work to open the doors to relief looks to be an uphill battle, the New York Times notes.
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Opinion
Dictators don't want you to think about the victims, and media is helping
Guardian (UK) May 21, 08 2:47 PM CDT
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The leaders of the Burmese junta don’t want you to think about the victims of Cyclone Nargis, writes Tom Jenkins for the Guardian , and the world and the media are only too happy to oblige. The Chinese government’s heroics in Asia's other natural disaster focuses attention on victims receiving help, while the Burmese who desperately need outside intervention die off-camera.
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Military government 'in arrears' on earlier debts; aid still scarce
Daily Telegraph (UK) May 20, 08 10:54 AM CDT
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As Burma looks for loans to cover an estimated for $10 billion worth of damage from Cyclone Nargis, the World Bank won't be among the lenders, the Telegraph reports. The junta has been in debt to the bank for more than a decade, and the bank is legally barred from making another loan, says its managing director.
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People want 'to see what's happening,' says vendor
Associated Press May 19, 08 8:45 AM CDT
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Black-market videos of floating bodies, famished survivors, and cyclone-ravaged villages have become best-sellers in Burma, AP reports. The tapes are illegal because the nation's military junta wants to hide the extent of the devastation. "People buy them because they are interested in seeing what happened out there," said a street vendor who set up his video stall 2 days after the storm.
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But only from ASEAN member nations
BBC May 19, 08 7:21 AM CDT
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Two and a half weeks after cyclone Nargis hit, Burma finally agreed today to allow foreign medics and disaster experts into the battered country, reports the BBC—but only from ASEAN member nations. UN chief Ban Ki-Moon also plans to jet to Burma on Wednesday to bring additional pressure to bear to speed relief to save thousands of children from starving to death.
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General meets survivors for first time since cyclone hit
CNN May 18, 08 2:48 PM CDT
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The head of Burma's junta emerged today for the first time since cyclone Nargis struck two weeks ago to meet with survivors, CNN reports. Gen. Than Shwe visited a refugee camp 200 miles south of Yangon, touching the faces of infant survivors. The visit came as the UN's humanitarian secretary began a three-day tour meant to pressure Burma to accept more foreign aid, the AP reports.
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Military admits full impact of storm
Reuters May 16, 08 5:05 PM CDT
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Nearly 78,000 are confirmed dead and another 56,000 missing in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, Reuters reports. Torrential rains continued to pound Burma today, complicating rescue efforts. The EU’s chief aid official met with military leaders to press for increasing foreign rescue workers' involvement, but he met with no more success than UN and US officials before him.
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Anti-government groups enraged by timing of announcement
Associated Press May 15, 08 7:22 AM CDT
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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.
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UN says 2.5M people have been 'severely affected' by the storm
Reuters May 14, 08 8:04 PM CDT
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The UN today nearly doubled its estimate of the number of people "severely affected" by the cyclone in Burma to up to 2.5 million and said they were in dire need of immediate aid, Reuters reports. The frustrated UN chief urged the creation of a "high-level pledging conference" of donor nations and said it was sending a top diplomat to meet with Burmese leaders to try to convince them to allow in more aid and relief workers.
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Latest tropical storm likely to become a cylcone
Wall Street Journal May 14, 08 5:21 AM CDT
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Thailand and the United Nations are working to open a land route from northern Thailand into Burma to get desperately needed help to cyclone survivors, reports the Wall Street Journal . The frantic efforts to deliver aid quickly have been stepped up as the UN's weather center is warning that another tropical storm is developing near Burma and could develop into a full-fledged cyclone within 24 hours.