BurmaNet News, May 3-5, 2008

[Editor]

May 3 – 5, 2008 Issue # 3458


INSIDE BURMA
Al Jazeera: Myanmar cyclone kills 10,000 people
Mizzima News: Junta called 'inhuman' for planning poll in wake of disaster
Mizzima News: International aid groups ready but waiting
Irrawaddy: Cyclone could unleash political upheaval

BUSINESS / TRADE
AFP: Economy on voters' minds ahead of Myanmar poll

HEALTH / AIDS
Reuters via MAP International: MAP Responds to Devastation in Myanmar

ASEAN
AFP: ASEAN sec-gen calls for aid to Myanmar

REGIONAL
Narinjara News: Burmese monks stage bloody protest in Dhaka
Reuters: India rushes aid to Myanmar, helping warming ties

INTERNATIONAL
AP: UN and NGOs rush to ready aid for Myanmar cyclone victims
AFP: US provides initial aid to cyclone-ravaged Myanmar

OPINION / OTHER
Mizzima News: Disaster diplomacy – of tsunamis and cyclones, Burma after
Cyclone Nargis
Irrawaddy: Referendum must take second place now in regime priorities
IHT: The junta's vote for repression

PRESS RELEASE
AAPPB: 36 prisoners killed in Insein prison
European Parliament: IP/08/684: Myanmar: European Commission provides €2
million in fast-track humanitarian aid for victims of Cyclone Nargis
BCUK: Burma regime failing to help cyclone victims



____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

May 5, Al Jazeera
Myanmar cyclone kills 10,000 people

The Myanmar government has said that the cyclone that struck the
south-east Asian nation this weekend has killed 10,000 people.

Nyan Win, the foreign minister, told state television: "According to the
latest information, more than 10,000 people were killed."

The toll from Cyclone Nargis may rise further with about 4,000 more people
still missing on Monday.

"Information is still being collected, and there could be more
casualties," Nyan Win said.

Nyan Win added that the country would be willing to accept international
aid to assist with the disaster, which has left thousands without shelter
and water.

Thailand, Myanmar's neighbour, has offered to send emergency food and
medicine.

Norway has also promised €1.3m ($1.96m), channelled through the UN or Red
Cross rather than the government, for the disaster.

UN 'to enter'

The UN said on Monday that the government had accepted its offer to help,
with shipments of aid being prepared immediately.

Al Jazeera's John Terrett at the UN headquarters in New York said that the
United Nations Disaster, Assessment and Co-ordination team, which is based
in Thailand, has been put on alert since Saturday to enter Myanmar to
offer assistance to the government there.

He added that this team was expected to enter Myanmar at about 16:30GMT on
Monday.

Hundreds of thousands of people are homeless and without clean drinking
water, a UN official has said and aid agencies have called on Myanmar's
military government to allow free movement so help can be given to victims
of the storm.

UN disaster experts said it could be days before the extent of the damage
is known because of the government's tight control of communications.

Call for access

The UN office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said
that the government - which has indicated it will press ahead with a
referendum on a new constitution on Saturday - was "having as much trouble
as anyone else in getting a full overview" of the destruction.

"Roads are not accessible and many small villages were hit and will take
time to reach," Terje Skavdal, the regional head of UNOCHA, said.

Teams of foreign aid workers were trying to assess the damage and aid
needs, but their access and movements are restricted by the military.

"That is the existing situation for international staff. The way most
agencies work is they use national staff who have more freedom to move,"
Skavdal said.

"We will have a dialogue with the government to try to get access to the
people affected," he added.

Aid groups' plea

The Forum for Democracy in Burma and other dissident groups outside of
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, have also urged the military government
to allow aid groups unfettered access to the country.

"International expertise in dealing with natural disasters is urgently
required," said Naing Aung, secretary-general of the Thailand-based group.

"The military regime is ill-prepared to deal with the aftermath of the
cyclone."

The government has declared the former capital of Yangon a disaster area
after the storm's 190kph winds blew roofs off hospitals and cut off
electricity supply.

Yangon, the Irrawaddy Delta, Bago as well as the Karen and Mon states were
heavily damaged and have been declared disaster areas.

State-controlled television reported that 20,000 homes had been destroyed
on Haingyi, an island in the Andaman sea.

A further 90,000 people on the island, the first part of the country to be
hit by the cyclone, were left homeless, the government said.

'Flattened'

Chris Kaye, the UN's acting humanitarian co-ordinator in Yangon, confirmed
that "the Irrawaddy delta was hit extremely hard not only because of the
wind and rain but because of the storm surge".

"The villages there have reportedly been completely flattened.''

Al Jazeera's correspondent in Myanmar said residents living in slums on
the outskirts of Yangon have been among the hardest hit as many struggle
to repair their homes before the next rainy season downpour.

The owner of a house which lost its roof in the cyclone said he was not
expecting assistance from local authorities as he struggles to feed a
family of six after recently losing his factory job.

"No one has come to help us. Tomorrow I will have to look for another job
because I need money to repair my house," he said.

It is unknown to what extent the destruction caused by the cyclone will
affect the holding of a referendum on May 10, on a new charter backed by
the ruling generals.

But the government indicated that it would proceed as planned.

"It's only a few days left before the coming referendum and people are
eager to cast their vote," the state-owned newspaper Myanma Ahlin said on
Monday.

The military says the vote is the first stage in a seven-step "road map to
democracy", intended to culminate in multi-party elections in 2010.

The process has been criticised by opposition groups which say the process
is intended only to tighten the military's grip on power.

____________________________________

May 5, Mizzima News
Junta called 'inhuman' for planning poll in wake of disaster – Mungpi

Critics blasted Burma's military regime for going ahead with plans to
conduct a referendum on the country's draft constitution amidst the
devastation and mourning of Cyclone Nargis.

"It is senseless to conduct a referendum while people are filled with
sorrow and worries," said Nyo Ohn Myint, the foreign affairs in-charge of
the exiled National League for Democracy (Liberated Area).

Calling the decision "inhuman," Nyo Ohn Myint said the ruling generals
have no sympathy for the people, who are now struggling to re-build homes
and finding ways to survive.

He added that the junta appears to be taking advantage of the survivors'
inability to focus on the referendum, slated for Saturday.

According to the junta's referendum law announced in February, the
constitution will be approved if more than 50 percent of those who cast
votes say "yes."

"So, the fewer the voters, the better the chance to win in the
referendum," said Nyo Ohn Myint said, explaining that the junta had
already mobilised its supporters.

In a statement carried by the official newspaper, Burma's military junta,
which has ruled the country for nearly two decades, on Monday indicated
that the impact of the cyclone would not alter the date for the nationwide
vote.

"The referendum is only a few days away and the people are eagerly looking
forward to voting," the junta said.

According to state-owned media, nearly 4,000 people were killed by Cyclone
Nagris, which swept through Burma over the weekend. Many more were left
injured and homeless, and the death toll was expected to rise.

In Rangoon, Burma's former capital city, reports said roads remained
blocked by trees, electric poles were uprooted, and electricity and
telephone lines remained cut-off. Internet connections were reportedly
severed by the storm.

Following the cyclone, commodities skyrocketed. The price of one egg,
which earlier cost 60 to 70 kyat, rose to 400 kyat while a liter of clean
water shot up to 4,000 kyat from what was normally 700 to 800 kyat.

Pictures posted on several news agencies' websites showed people busy
cleaning up debris and re-building their homes. Five regions of Burma were
declared disaster zones: Rangoon, Pegu, Irrawaddy division, and Mon and
Karen states.

Tanet Charoenmuang, professor in the Department of Political Science at
Chiang Mai University, said the Burmese junta, like every other
authoritarian government, does not want to delay the process of the
referendum, as it is the only way to legitimize their rule.

"The Burmese military junta already knows the outcome of the referendum
and just want to go ahead as fast as they could without any delays," Tanet
added.

Win Min, a Burmese analyst in Thailand, however, said the junta is being
insensitive.

"If they just postpone the dates for the referendum and engage in relief
works, they are more likely to gain the peoples' appreciation," he said.

Win Min said Senior General Than Shwe, who is superstitious like other
military dictators of Burma, is being stubborn in postponing the
referendum as he has already chosen the date after consulting with
astrologers.

"How can people think of going to the poll booths and casting their votes
while their homes and lives are devastated? It could even provoke the
people's anger," Win Min added.

Cases of postponing elections

Many precedents exist for postponing elections after natural disasters.

In 2007, Jamaica delayed a general election by a week when a deadly
hurricane lashed the country.

After the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami, the Maldives government postponed a
parliamentary election for three weeks. And local elections were delayed
in the U.S. states of Alabama and Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina in
2005.

Relief first

In order for the junta to go ahead with its referendum, it must ensure
that people in the disaster-impacted regions get relief first, said Human
Rights Watch (HRW).

David Scott Mathieson, Burma Consultant of the HRW said, "The government
must first help clean the devastation and mess and help the people who are
starving."

"The government has to show responsibility. There must be a kind of
mechanism in place so that these people can cast their votes," he added.

Nyo Ohn Myint said he and his NLD-LA party have asked the NLD to stop any
kind of political activities but to concentrate on relief work.

"There is nothing more important that relief work at this moment," said
Nyo Ohn Myint. "There is no point in conducting any kind of political
activities when people are dying, starving and are homeless."

____________________________________

May 5, Mizzima News
International aid groups ready but waiting – Solomon

Eight hundred tons of rice are sitting in a Rangoon warehouse, but can't
be distributed to survivors of the deadly cyclone that ravaged Burma until
the military government gives permission, an aid official said Monday.

"We have 800 tons of rice stock available in Rangoon in our warehouse now,
so that will be available for immediate distribution," Paul Risley,
spokesperson for the World Food Programme's (WFP) Thailand office, told
Mizzima.

Discussions between the Burmese government and the Burma-based WFP country
director were still going on late Monday, he said. The WFP also is waiting
for results from observers on the extent of the cyclone's damage and an
assessment on how much aid will be needed.

"The meeting is to discuss whether international humanitarian assistance
of the World Food Programme from the United Nations would be accepted by
the government for the country," Risley added.

Nearly 4,000 people are believed dead and thousands more still missing,
according to state media reports late Monday. The cyclone swept through
the Irrawaddy Delta and the nation's commercial capital with winds blowing
more than 120 mph.

The storm cut phone connections, blocked roads and ripped roofs off
houses. Tens of thousands of people are believed homeless.

According to Risley, the UN and the Red Cross of Burma today started
surveying six hard-hit areas.

Risley said it was a "very strong cyclone, according to the satellite
news, and we are very concerned about the extent of the damage to people's
houses, shelter, in the Irrawaddy division and Rangoon as well. Flood
water is damaging families' food stock, so there may potentially be very
critical food assistance needs from the next few days."

The Irrawaddy Delta is main rice-producing region of Burma.

Another aid group, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), is
ready to move in. "We have people in Burma already working on medical
project, and if the Burmese government asks for help, then we will
suddenly help," said Chris Lom, the IOM's regional information officer.

The main needs are shelter and clean water, Lom said. At a meeting with
the UN, the agencies discussed providing plastic sheets and a water
purification system to prevent water-borne diseases.

"It's difficult to say how much will be needed," Lom said. "We just don't
know because all telephone lines are down."

International humanitarian groups have found it difficult to work in
Burma, which has been ruled by military dictators since 1962.

The Global Fund to fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria withdrew
its presence from Burma in 2005, citing restrictions by the Burmese junta
on movements of its volunteers.

Similarly, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), citing
government restrictions, closed down two of its field offices in
Mawlamyine of Mon State and Kyaing Tong of Eastern Shan State.

____________________________________

May 5, Irrawaddy
Cyclone could unleash political upheaval – Wai Moe

Tropical cyclone Nargis was not only a natural disaster, but it could also
signal a political upheaval for the Burmese junta if the generals fail to
handle it well.

Nargis, a Category 3 cyclone, hit Rangoon, the Irrawaddy delta, the Pegu
Division and Mon and Karen States on Saturday. The military junta named
the five regions disaster zones.

A government statement on Monday, however, signed by Col Than Shin on
behalf of the military regime, was not related to the disaster but
contained a response to the UN Security Council’s latest presidential
statement, which called for a free and fair referendum.

The junta said that it was surprised by the Security Council statement,
but declared its determination to carry on with the referendum on May 10.

The junta mouth piece Myanma Alin still carries a daily campaign urging a
“Yes” vote, and carried a report highlighting a canvassing tour of Sagaing
Division, northern Burma, by the Minister of Information, Brig-Gen Kyaw
Hsan.

State-run MRTV reported on a cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister
Gen Thein Sein, to discuss the cyclone disaster, with exacted an official
death toll of almost 4000 people and made hundreds of thousands homeless.

The front and back pages of Myanma Alin on Monday showed Gen Thein Sein,
who heads a state disaster committee, viewing cyclone damage in Rangoon’s
North Dagon Myothit Township.

“The state disaster committee includes the armed forces, police, and fire
squad. But the report did not name the junta’s mass organization, the
Union Solidarity and Development Association, (USDA) in the committee,”
said a Rangoon student.

Rangoon residents told The Irrawaddy on Monday that most of the cyclone
victims received no aid from government agencies or international ones.
“My house was destroyed by the storm, but no authority came to ask about
damage or assistance,” said one.

A physician who runs a private clinic in Thaketa Township, Rangoon, said
he had heard of no emergency plans for treating the injured. “Last night
many people injured in the disaster came to my clinic for treatment. But
they came by themselves, not with state aid.”

The physician said the shortage of water was now a problem for all. There
was also no power.

Rangoon and other towns in lower Burma were ill-prepared for the cyclone,
unlike neighboring Bangladesh, which is regularly hit by such storms.

Mismanagement and corruption in every section of the junta’s
administration also take their toll, hindering a rapid response by rescue
workers and security forces.

“I don’t know where the troops and Swan Ah-shin who beat up peaceful
protesters in the September demonstrations are now,” said a Rangoon
housewife. “They were quick to arrive in September. Now they can’t come to
aid cyclone victims.”

The monks who led the September mass demonstration are helping clear the
storm debris and providing victims with food, according to one Rangoon
resident.

The price of basic commodities leapt in the wake of the cyclone. Markets
are crowded but food is in short supply.

The junta delayed opening the door for humanitarian aid from the
international community. The Burmese regime has a policy of cooperating as
little as possible with international aid agencies, which are regarded by
many military officials as neocolonialist “tools.”

In April, junta newspapers accused the International Committee of the Red
Cross of supporting rebel groups in Karen state.

The Burma Campaign-UK, a London-based free-Burma group, said on Saturday
that the Burmese regime failed to give adequate warnings to the population
about the approach of the cyclone.

The junta places restrictions on the UN and international aid agencies
delivering humanitarian assistance, the group said. “This is yet another
example of how the regime ignores the welfare of the people of Burma,”
said Mark Farmaner, director of the Burma Campaign-UK.

However, Aung Naing Oo, a Burmese political analyst, said the junta is
unwilling to allow international aid and emergency teams into the country
ahead of the referendum.

“The ruling generals don’t want to see many international agencies, aid
workers or rescue teams near the referendum or during the referendum.”

Win Min, a Burma expert at Thailand’s Chiang Mai University, said: “I
heard people are getting angry at the authorities because of lack of
prevention and disaster relief. It is not good for the junta’s referendum
plan.”


____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

May 5, Agence France Presse
Economy on voters' minds ahead of Myanmar poll

Aung Aung has never left military-ruled Myanmar, though he is beginning to
feel he has no choice but to say goodbye to his family and try to forge a
better life overseas.

The economy is in tatters after decades of misrule by military
governments, while food prices are soaring, making life even more wretched
in one of the poorest countries in the world even before it was battered
by a cyclone at the weekend.

"Working in another country is better than here. After I pay back the debt
I will owe for going to Singapore, I can save money for my family," he
said.

Aung Aung is one of the luckier ones -- the 32-year-old drives a taxi in
the main city Yangon and earns about 5,000 kyats (4.50 dollars) a day,
more than the average daily wage of about 1.50 dollars.

But this is still barely enough to provide for his wife and child.

"What do I do if I'm sick? I have no savings. The owner of the taxi will
just give the car to another driver," he told AFP.

"I also worry for my daughter's future. She is just six months old. As she
grows up, our expenses will increase. That's why I decided to leave here,
even though I don't want to be away from my little daughter," he said.

The economy is a touchy subject for the secretive junta, especially as the
country prepares for Saturday's referendum on a new constitution.

The military government said the vote would go ahead, despite the cyclone
which killed at least 351 people, left tens of thousands homeless and
crippled the economic hub Yangon.

A surprise rise in fuel prices last August sparked anti-junta protests,
which eventually drew up to 100,000 people on to the streets in September.

A government crackdown left at least 31 people dead, the UN has said,
prompting tougher Western sanctions on the military regime.

Myanmar has been under sanctions for the past decade, but the latest
measures blocked access to US financial institutions and made it more
difficult to export its highly desired teak and precious stones.

Sean Turnell, an expert on Myanmar's economy at Australia's Macquarie
University, said that while new sanctions mostly affected the top
leadership, the economy in general had suffered since the protests.

He told AFP in Bangkok that rice prices had gone up by about 50 percent in
a year in impoverished Myanmar, where any increase has a huge impact.

"Burma's macro-economy continues to founder," Turnell said by email,
referring to Myanmar by its former name.

"Tourism has been greatly impacted by the events of last year, whilst the
slowing of the global economy has already had an impact on the inflows of
investment from the region."

The International Monetary Fund estimated Myanmar's per capita gross
domestic product at 235 dollars in 2007, among the lowest in the world,
while inflation was 34 percent.

Myanmar is a resource-rich country, but successive military governments
which have ruled since 1962 have run the economy into disrepair.

And although foreign trade volume is rising as neighbouring Thailand,
India and China scramble to get their hands on Myanmar's huge gas
reserves, this money is not trickling down to the people.

Myanmar earned 2.7 billion dollars from gas exports in 2007, an 80 percent
increase from the previous year, a newspaper said in April.

But hundreds of people still queue up at the passport offices every day in
the hope of finding work abroad, while others enter neighbouring countries
illegally.

"People in rural areas find it very difficult to get a job, so many people
cross the Thai border," said one garment factory manager in Yangon. "They
don't need a passport or anything."

The dangers were underscored in April when 54 illegal migrants from
Myanmar suffocated to death in Thailand after being packed in a container
truck with a broken ventilation system.

Analysts said the new constitution did not look like it would fix
Myanmar's chronic economic problems.

Zarni, a Myanmar academic based in Britain who goes by one name, said the
past year had been one of the worst for people in his home country, and if
the May 10 poll was free and fair, they may react by voting down the
charter.

"They are too consumed by day-to-day economic survival needs, so much so
that they will likely reject everything the junta offers," he told AFP in
Bangkok.


____________________________________
HEALTH / AIDS

May 5, Reuters via MAP International
MAP Responds to Devastation in Myanmar

Medical Assistance Programs (MAP) International will provide emergency
medical aid to help people in Myanmar affected by a devastating category
four cyclone that struck the southeast Asian nation May 2.

An estimated 2 million people are homeless and are in need of potable
water, medicines and shelter. Reports say that at least 10,000 people died
in the storm and another 3,000 are missing.

"With a disaster such as this cyclone, our concern is to prevent a second
wave of death from disease outbreaks," said Chris Palusky, MAP
International director of humanitarian affairs.

Mr. Palusky said MAP is working with partner organizations to fully assess
what immediate aid is needed in evacuation shelters in Myanmar.

Cyclonic storm Nargis came ashore with wind speeds as high as 150mph. It
moved immediately through the Irrawaddy delta, an area described as the
rice bowl of the impoverished nation. The cyclone completely destroyed at
least one entire village and left others in ruin. The death toll, which
will likely rise, is the largest in Asia due to natural disaster since the
Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, ranks as one of the poorest countries in
Asia. According to the World Food Program, about 5 million people in
Myanmar lack sufficient access to food and essential medicines. About one
in 10 children there die before age 5 due to preventable diseases.


____________________________________
ASEAN

May 5, Agence France Presse
ASEAN sec-gen calls for aid to Myanmar

ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan called Monday for all member states
to offer "urgent relief assistance" to Myanmar where a cyclone has
reportedly killed over 10,000 people.

"I heard the news of the cyclone with deep concern," Surin said in a
statement from the Jakarta headquarters of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations.

"I am sure Myanmar's neighbours in ASEAN are standing by ready to join the
international community to extend help in whatever form the government of
Myanmar would like them to do."

He said such assistance would be "in line with the spirit" of the ASEAN
Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response, which was signed
in 2005 but was not yet in force.

"Given the frequency of such major natural disasters, ASEAN must on its
own as well as in collaboration with its friends and partners intensify
efforts in disaster management and emergency response," he said.

The United Nations has said hundreds of thousands of people have been left
homeless by Tropical Cyclone Nargis, which struck late Friday about 220
kilometres (140 miles) southwest of Yangon.

The Myanmar junta on Monday increased the death toll more than tenfold to
over 10,000.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.


____________________________________
REGIONAL

May 5, Narinjara News
Burmese monks stage bloody protest in Dhaka

Exiled Burmese monks staged a protest on Sunday in front of the Burmese
embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, against the upcoming constitutional
referendum, with some monks striking their arms and drawing blood that
sprayed on the white protest banners.
The protest was conducted by the International Burmese Monks Organization,
Bangladesh branch, and was the biggest protest yet staged by Burmese
exiles in Bangladesh.

Ashion Maygiya, president of the monk organization, said, "Our program is
successful and we were able to stage our protest in front of the Burmese
embassy and show our feelings on the referendum to the Burmese military
government."

Many Bangladesh police constables blocked the entrance road to the Burmese
embassy to prevent the demonstrators from marching to the front of the
building, but the monks paid no heed to the road block and marched on to
the embassy while shouting many anti-referendum slogans.

U Thuriya, who is an active monk in the organization, said, "We came here
to protest the Burmese government which is now preparing to hold the
referendum for approving their constitution. The constitution is not
useful for our country and will be dangerous for our people in the future.
The constitution is only for the army to rule Burma continually. How can
we accept the constitution? So we staged a protest by punching our arms
for blood to vow to fight until Burma is a democracy."

U Thuriya and some other monks spread their blood on some of the banners
in the demonstration after striking their own arms, while some staff from
the Burmese embassy watched the scene with interest.

The demonstration was staged for two hours in front of the embassy,
beginning at 11 am and ended at 1 pm on Sunday, 4 May.

Over 60 Burmese people, including monks and women, participated in the
protest, and the diplomatic area near the Burmese embassy was flooded with
the protestors' shouts and slogans.

____________________________________

May 5, Reuters
India rushes aid to Myanmar, helping warming ties – Bappa Majumdar

India rushed relief and medical supplies to cyclone-hit Myanmar on Monday,
underscoring warming ties between the two neighbours.

Hundreds of labourers were loading food items, blankets, clothing and
tents into two naval ships at Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, a spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
said.

"The ships will sail as soon as possible and any time now," he said.

A Myanmar-based diplomat told Reuters the country's military junta
estimated at least 10,000 people died and 3,000 were missing after the
cyclone hit the Irrawaddy delta on Saturday.

The Indian foreign ministry said in a statement that, "in keeping with
India's historical, close and good neighbourly ties with the friendly
people of Myanmar, the government of India is providing immediate relief
assistance to Myanmar.

India has economic and military ties with Myanmar. It is competing with
China for access to Myanmar's oil and gas and in return has promised to
build infrastructure.

Last month, India signed an agreement to build a multimillion-dollar
seaport and improve roads and waterways inside Myanmar.

The deal will give India a foothold on the Myanmar city of Sittwe, on an
island near the mouth of the Kaladan river, which will become the onshore
hub of Myanmar's gas industry once vast reserves in the Shwe fields in the
Bay of Bengal are developed.

India began improving relations with Myanmar after Bangladesh, which sits
between the Indian mainland and its far-flung northeast, refused India
transit facilities.

Analysts said India's move to quickly send relief to Myanmar would help
relations further.

"I think this gesture will off course improve relations between the two
countries further ... which at the moment is very good," said Mira Sinha
Bhattacharjea, former director of the Institute of Chinese Studies in New
Delhi.

India's prime minister, president and all senior officials sent condolence
messages to the military rulers, an MEA spokesman said. "They also
conveyed India's readiness to provide immediate emergency relief and help
Myanmar in rebuilding."


____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

May 5, Associated Press
UN and NGOs rush to ready aid for Myanmar cyclone victims – Alexander G.
Higgins

U.N. agencies and independent humanitarian groups rushed Monday to prepare
assistance for victims of a devastating cyclone in Myanmar, while awaiting
a formal go-ahead from the military regime in the Southeast Asian nation.

As the death toll climbed, Myanmar's isolationist government indicated a
willingness to accept outside help. But details on how aid would be
delivered were still to be worked out, said Elisabeth Byrs of the U.N.
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

"The U.N. team has been activated and is ready to supplement the effort of
the government in responding to this disaster as soon as they receive
visas," Byrs said.

Some potential donors said governments and aid groups apparently would
need individual approval to deliver supplies to Myanmar, which is also
known as Burma.

The United States said the junta had so far refused to allow an American
disaster team in to assess damage to follow up on an emergency U.S.
contribution of $250,000.

"That is a barrier to us being able to move forward," deputy State
Department spokesman Tom Casey said. "We asked for permission, but the
initial response from the government was that they were not inclined to
let them in."

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in announcing he was
making $773,000 available to German aid groups to help Myanmar, urged the
military government "to allow an effective aid operation and to work
together with international aid organizations."

Relief agency representatives met in Yangon, Myanmar's biggest city, as
well as in Bangkok, Thailand, to assess the damage and prepare supplies.

U.N. officials said hundreds of thousands of people urgently need safe
drinking water and shelter. The international Red Cross said Myanmar's
national Red Cross society was already distributing supplies.

"Widespread destruction is obviously making it more difficult to get aid
to people who need it most," said Michael Annear, regional disaster
management coordinator for the International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies.

In Geneva, Carsten Voelz, operations manager for CARE, said the
humanitarian group would need more staff in Myanmar. "We have received a
long list of things that are needed, including shelter material, food,
water purification stuff, tarpaulins and things like that," he said.

"We are basically standing on our toes, ready to run," he added.

The United Nations Children's Fund said it was working with other agencies
and Myanmar's Red Cross to determine how it could help.

"We have five teams assessing the situation on the ground at the moment,"
UNICEF spokeswoman Veronique Taveau said. "The situation seems to be quite
difficult."

Byrs, the spokeswoman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs, said the World Food Program has 500 tons of food in
Yangon and planned to bring in more supplies.

Voelz, of CARE, said the list of needed supplies "was put together in
Bangkok based on our experience on what you need in situations like that.
As humanitarian organizations we have worked in many cyclone situations,
so we know what's needed."

Other groups preparing aid included Save the Children, Oxfam and World
Vision.

The European Union said it was providing $3 million in urgent humanitarian
aid for cyclone victims.

"With every hour that passes, the news coming out of Myanmar gets grimmer
and grimmer," EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel said. "This is a
terrible catastrophe that demands a quick and effective humanitarian
response."

France's Foreign Ministry said it was sending $309,200 in emergency aid
and that France's foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, was ready to travel
to the country "to personally testify to France's solidarity with the
people of Myanmar."

Israel also plans to send emergency aid once its ambassador compiles a
list of what is needed, Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel said.

Associated Press writers Eliane Engeler in Geneva, Matthew Lee in
Washington, David Rising in Berlin and Paul Ames in Brussels, Belgium,
contributed to this report.

____________________________________

May 5, Agence France Presse
US provides initial aid to cyclone-ravaged Myanmar

The United States said Monday it is providing an initial sum of 250,000
dollars in aid to cyclone-ravaged Myanmar through its embassy in Yangon
and is looking at what more it can do to help.

"The embassy (in Yangon) did issue a disaster declaration authorizing an
immediate release of 250,000 dollars in support for the Burmese
government," State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey told reporters.

Casey said a US disaster assistance response team was "standing by and
ready to go into Burma (Myanmar) to help try and assess needs there," but
had apparently not received permission from the ruling junta in Yangon.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel, who expressed US concern "about the
reports coming out of Burma and mourn the loss of life," and Casey
suggested more aid would be available.

"We provided some initial assistance under our disaster declaration that
was issued by our (embassy) charge, Shari Villarosa, in response to some
of the immediate needs that are there," Casey told reporters.

"And we're looking at what other assistance we might be able to provide,"
he added.

Casey said he understood that the authorities in Yangon have not tried to
block financial contributions which would be sent to "UN relief agencies
for water, sanitation, food and shelter for the affected populations."

He expected the money would go towards the same items covered in previous
disaster declarations.

"That can include things from, you know, plastic sheeting, water
containers, purification systems," he said.

Myanmar said more than 10,000 people had been killed in the cyclone that
tore into the impoverished and secretive Asian nation at the weekend, and
that tens of thousands more could also be dead.

The announcement on state television increased the death toll from
Tropical Cyclone Nargis more than ten-fold in the country once known as
Burma, which has been under military rule for decades and is one of the
poorest on the planet.

It said more than 2,100 people were missing and that tens of thousands
more could have perished in other regions -- areas where rescue workers
had not yet been able to gauge the full scope of the destruction.

Casey said the US embassy in Yangon had decided or was moving toward
allowing non-essential US personnel and families to leave Myanmar
temporarily because public services had deteriorated following the
cyclone.

He added he was "unaware of any Americans affected, injured or killed" by
the storm.


____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

May 5, Mizzima News
Disaster diplomacy – of tsunamis and cyclones, Burma after Cyclone Nargis
– Christopher Smith

After three decades of conflict and civil war in Indonesia's restive
province of Aceh came to a relatively rapid political solution in the
aftermath of December 2004's devastating earthquake and tsunami, the
concept of natural disasters as paving the road for conflict
transformation has gained in both adherents and interest. But, as this
brief comparison between the situation in Aceh in 2004 and that of Burma
today will make clear, there is scant evidence for optimism in the
devastation of Cyclone Nargis proving the memorable catalyst of a solution
to Burma's ills.

The fact is, as recognized by numerous studies as well as
disasterdiplomacy.org, and poignantly attested to in the case of Sri Lanka
in the wake of the 2004 tsunami, natural disasters have historically led
to a spike in conflict as opposed to bringing a solution to light. Even in
Aceh, though a political solution would prove forthcoming, the Indonesian
armed forces (TNI) used the opportunity created by the aftermath of the
tsunami to accuse its foes of terrorism and launch a series of military
offensives.

Crucially, in the case of Aceh, mediation and scheduled negotiations
between the primary protagonists to the conflict, the Free Aceh Movement
(GAM) and the Indonesian government, were underway prior to the tsunami.
While a foreseeable solution to the conflict was by no means certain
before December 26, 2004, the groundwork had been laid for the exploration
of a solution.

Clearly in the case of Burma, as exemplified by the lack of measures taken
to ensure that the forthcoming constitutional referendum will be held in
an atmosphere conducive to the poll providing a real step forward for the
country, there currently exists no definable platform prepared and agreed
to by the military and opposition political parties ready to serve the
interests of conflict transformation. The thrust of the United Nations
efforts through its Special Envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, is currently
dead in the water.

Additionally, the sheer statistical weight of the 2004 tsunami necessary
to add that vital extra incentive to find a political solution in Aceh, is
mind boggling. Of a pre-tsunami population of approximately 4.2 million,
an estimated 170,000 to 230,000 people perished, with a further half
million left homeless. Those numbers equate to a death toll between four
and 5.4 percent of the Acehnese population, with nearly 12 percent left in
need of shelter.

Burma, hopefully, will not suffer near the loss in life and property as
did the Acehnese. However, it is far too early to know of the true
devastation wrought on Burma as a result of Cyclone Nargis, and it may
well be that casualty and damage figures skyrocket in the upcoming days
and weeks. But if Nargis were to have a similar statistical impact on the
human population of Burma as the tsunami did on Aceh, between 1.9 and 2.6
million Burmese will have lost their lives, with another 5.6 million
homeless.

Militarily, the 2004 tsunami dealt a significant blow to both GAM and TNI
short-term operational capabilities in Aceh. Though what is more important
is that in the preceding two-plus years GAM is estimated to have lost over
25 percent of its troop strength in conjunction with the loss of key
commanders on the ground. In short, the military arm of GAM was standing
at a severe lilt at the time the tsunami struck, with many analysts
arguing that the organization was looking for a way to exit the conflict
prior to the tsunami.

With Burma, the Saffron Revolution, barely seven months past, has
instilled newfound optimism and reason to believe in the strength and
cause of those opposing current government policies. Additionally, when
speaking of possible diplomacy and dialogue, it is commonly understood
that a principle obstacle to talks is the military's refusal to be brought
to the table. It is unlikely that Cyclone Nargis can cause losses in the
military significant to impel such an action. Even in Aceh, where the TNI
lost 2,700 killed and saw much of its coastal operations obliterated
(compared to a GAM figure of only 70 deaths), it was contingent upon the
opposition, GAM, to make the necessary political concessions to allow
talks to substantively progress.

Early 2005 saw Aceh inundated with international aid workers and relief
efforts, providing the conflict a degree of internationalization it was
previously not privy too. The carnage brought upon the region also spawned
political actors to reduce the moral posturing of their demands and
interests.

What international relief is permitted to reach Burma's citizens will
presumably come without the international aid worker component, and
certainly out of the eye of the international media. And with Burma's
conflict, especially from the position of its central democratic
opposition, steeped in and committed to the morality of its cause – it is
difficult to imagine opposition leaders and parties coming together in the
wake of the cyclone to agree to a lessening of their moral position.

Despite some thirty years of hostilities and government offensives in
Aceh, in the months following the disaster over 80 percent of Acehnese
polled responded with a favorable view of the Indonesian government's
relief initiatives.

Burma's military junta, isolated, poor and carrying the burden of a far
less than stellar track record regarding social spending and initiatives,
in all probability will not see their relief efforts heralded by 80
percent of Burmese as sufficient and meriting a more positive view of the
military in Burmese political affairs.

In the end, there are fundamental obstacles to the success of disaster
diplomacy in Burma in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, factors that were not in
place in Aceh in 2004.

Aceh was a regional crisis, comprising two percent of the Indonesian
population, not a national one as in the case of Burma. Will Nargis
traumatize all of Burma?

The political and armed opposition to Jakarta in Aceh was not seeking the
removal of the Indonesian government or national political changes to the
vast extent as several opposition parties in Burma are seeking. Further,
GAM entered a peace accord with the Indonesian government having made
significant political concessions, including among others their erstwhile
claim to independence. GAM joined the existing political order.

Burma's political conflict is stalemated. While the concessions demanded
to jumpstart dialogue by the parties concerned are not synonymous with
what occurred between GAM and Jakarta, the vital point is that concessions
will be required of all parties.

What demands and positions will Burma's political opposition and military
rulers be willing to forego in the aftermath of Nargis to make dialogue
happen? Is it possible that opposition, pro-democracy leaders would serve
within the existing, military, government?

But, just maybe – as with the early ripples of a tsunami far out at sea –
the aftermath of Nargis will provide a critical opportunity for members of
the military and opposition parties to come together and work toward
rebuilding Burma; one small, initial step in the confidence building
process. And this, it is hoped, would prove the onset of a working
relationship that will one day crash upon the shores of Burma and give
birth to a unified and conflict-free Burma.

____________________________________

May 5, Irrawaddy
Referendum must take second place now in regime priorities

The response by the Burmese regime to this weekend’s cyclone disaster
shows that the junta is incapable of running the country, let alone
helping the victims.

Three million people are thought to have suffered in one way or another
from cyclone Nargis as it ripped through Rangoon, the Irrawaddy delta and
southern Burma, destroying homes, sinking boats, knocking down power
lines, uprooting trees and shutting down Rangoon airport.

The death toll stands officially at more than 350, but the actual figure
is thought to be higher.

The junta declared five disaster zones on Sunday—Rangoon, Irrawaddy and
Pegu divisions as well as Karen and Mon states.

As the country reeled under the force of the cyclone, the regime issued a
statement saying its pet project, the constitutional referendum, would be
held as planned this coming Saturday. Monday’s issue of the official
government newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar, carried the statement,
together with an attack on last Friday’s pronouncement by the UN Security
Council urging a free and fair referendum.

The government was “much surprised” by the UN statement, the newspaper said.

The referendum would be held as planned, the newspaper said, “and the
entire people of the country are eagerly looking forward to that," it
said.

Eagerly looking forward to the opportunity to participate in a sham
election? Right now, the Burmese people are eagerly looking forward to
emergency aid—clean water, food, medicines and other supplies. According
to UN officials, the water supply is unfit to drink in the aftermath of
the destruction, raising fears of water-borne diseases.

It is really sad to see how ineffectively Than Shwe’s regime is responding
to this devastating crisis. The Burmese people are painfully aware that
they can expect little help from an uncaring military regime.

State-run television tries to present a caring image, with footage of
troops working to clear streets blocked by fallen trees. Yet Rangoon
residents are telling
The Irrawaddy that official assistance is minimal.

Some reports from the devastated country speak of looting and even
rioting, as prices of food and other essentials soar. Shock and anger are
the prevailing mood of the people.

Belatedly, the junta formed a national central committee for natural
disasters, with Prime Minister Gen Thein Sein as chairman, to coordinate
relief and aid efforts. Although UN agencies and other international
bodies stand ready to help, no call for aid has come from the regime,
which is pathologically suspicious of international non-governmental
organizations.

The media is also being kept out of the disaster zones, making it
difficult to obtain a clear picture of the true extent of the disaster.
News of national disasters is normally underplayed or covered up by the
regime press, radio and TV.

It is vitally important for the regime to allow international aid agencies
to operate in disaster zones, as well as free access to the international
media.

The cyclone also changed the political landscape in Burma by probably
persuading even more people to vote against the regime’s draft
constitution in the coming referendum, despite the climate of fear and
intimidation created by the junta’s “Vote Yes” campaign.
The regime’s totally inadequate response to the needs of the battered
country will undoubtedly encourage undecided voters to reject the draft
constitution.

The referendum should be postponed and the government’s efforts devoted
totally to helping the cyclone victims. If they are unable to make this
decision, Than Shwe and the other junta leaders should step down—the
Burmese people are waiting eagerly for that to happen.

____________________________________

May 5, International Herald Tribune
The junta's vote for repression – Sein Win

It is not often that there is fair warning of a comprehensive abuse of
political rights. But in Burma, we know the day that this abuse will take
place: This coming Saturday. This is the day of the referendum called by
Burma's military regime on the draft constitution it has prepared.

The preparation of the draft constitution has been anything but democratic
and inclusive. The process has excluded all democratic groups and parties,
including the National League of Democracy, which won Burma's last
democratic elections in 1990. It has also excluded the legitimate
representatives of Burma's many ethnic groups.

The constitution proposed by the regime - the State Peace and Development
Council - is one that would leave the military in power, regardless of the
wishes of the Burmese population.

The elections that the regime have proposed to follow the referendum in
2010 would not permit the participation of many democratic parties and
individuals, including the leader of the National League for Democracy,
Aung San Suu Kyi, who remains under house arrest, now for over 12 years.

In order to view the draft constitution, Burmese citizens - who, thanks to
the regime's disastrous economic policies, are among the poorest in the
world - are required to purchase the 194-page document. Already, the
ruling junta is organizing acts of intimidation and violence to bully the
population to vote yes to the constitution. Despite the obvious risks to
their lives and liberty, opposition groups have decided to participate in
the referendum and vote no.

The regime wants to present this false referendum and anti-democratic
constitution as part of a transition to democracy. The reality of the
referendum is a cynically calculated act to pretend to meet the demands of
the international community, including the UN Security Council, which has
specifically demanded an inclusive constitutional process.

Since the violent repression of demonstrations led by Burma's revered
monks in September, the UN has conducted a "good offices" mission to try
to find a way forward in Burma. So far, the ruling junta has shown no sign
of permitting any kind of inclusive constitutional and democratic process.
Their tactics seem to be to stave off international pressure by slowing
down any dialogue with the UN, and promising empty changes, such as its
new constitution.

These evasive tactics must not be tolerated. The UN Security Council,
along with Asean, the European Union and Burma's immediate neighbors, must
call this referendum what it really is and demand an inclusive
constitutional process, leading to genuinely democratic and open
elections.

These countries - the international community - must insist on objective
international monitoring of the referendum - perhaps by Burma's democratic
regional neighbors like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, or Indonesia - and,
if this is refused, draw the obvious conclusion.

It is time for the international community to increase the economic
pressure on the military senior leadership via the mechanism of targeted
sanctions, including investment freezes. Those countries in Asean, as well
as China and India, which are the military's major trading and investment
partners, must cease propping up the regime with currency, revenue and
arms.

It is not in anyone's long-term interests for a regime that lacks any
legitimacy to continue in power in Burma. No economic investment can
prosper in such circumstances and the risk of widespread turmoil and
instability can only increase. Above all, the abuse of the human rights of
Burma's people must be stopped.

The country's democratic opposition proposes a way out of this crisis and
suffering for the Burmese people. We are not looking for revolution or
violent overthrow of the regime, but a peaceful transition to a situation
where Burma is stable and democratically governed.

What this requires is a constitutional process that includes all parties,
including the military, democratic parties and representatives of the many
ethnic groups that make up contemporary Burma. All these groups must have
a say in Burma's constitutional settlement, as they must too play a part
in any future government. The proper atmosphere for such a process also
requires the release of political prisoners and the end to hostilities in
Burma's ethnic regions.

The military regime pretends that the referendum is a step toward
democracy. It is in reality a massive and comprehensive denial of the
democratic and political rights of the Burmese people. It is essential
that the international community recognizes this fake referendum for what
it is.

Sein Win is chairman of the National Coalition Government of the Union of
Burma, which is outlawed by the military junta.


____________________________________
PRESS RELEASE

May 5, Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, Burma
36 prisoners killed in Insein prison

On Friday at around midnight, tropical cyclone Nargis started its assault
on Burma. The storm also hit Insein prison in Rangoon. As a result of
strong winds, many zinc roofs atop of Insein prison were torn off, one
after another.

Due to the destruction in one area of the prison, around 1,000 prisoners
were forced to congregate inside main prison hall no. 1. No one was
allowed to seek safety, and they were locked inside the hall. The
prisoners were wet and cold and some of them started a fire to try and
keep warm. Unfortunately, the fire began to give off thick smoke, burnt
down and prisoners panicked.  The situation escalated and chaos ensued.

In order to control the situation, soldiers and riot police were called
in.  They opened fire on the prisoners in that area. 36 prisoners were
killed instantly and around 70 were injured.

“It is merciless and unnecessary actions to shoot. It is brutal and we
would like to have independent investigation on that matter” said Tate
Naing.

As far as we know, no political prisoners died during the crackdown.
However, 36 prisoners were needlessly and unlawfully killed by the prison
authorities in the early hours of Saturday May 3, 2008.

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, Burma
For more information:
Contact to Ko Tate Naing at 66-81-2878751
                  Ko Bo Kyi at 66-81-3248935

____________________________________

May 5, European Parliament
IP/08/684: Myanmar: European Commission provides €2 million in fast-track
humanitarian aid for victims of Cyclone Nargis

The European Commission has launched a fast-track decision to provide
emergency relief for victims of Cyclone Nargis that struck Myanmar at the
weekend. The funds, managed by the Commission's Humanitarian Aid
department (ECHO), are being mobilised rapidly to help meet the basic
needs of survivors in the disaster zone.

Louis Michel, the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian
Aid, said: "With every hour that passes, the news coming out of Myanmar
gets grimmer and grimmer. This is a terrible catastrophe that demands a
quick and effective humanitarian response. Hundreds of thousands of
people, many already destitute, are in desperate need. In the face of this
tragedy, we want to demonstrate what the EU values of solidarity and
humanity stand for. Our humanitarian aid will be provided directly and
impartially to the victims."

The Commission already has an office in Yangon dealing with other
humanitarian programmes in Myanmar. Although communications are bad, the
Commission's humanitarian expert in the country has been able to establish
contact with Brussels. There are unconfirmed reports of up to 95%
destruction in some communities in the Irrawaddy Delta due to a
combination of high winds and a huge tidal surge. Water supply systems are
said to have been badly hit. The main needs, in the initial phase, are
therefore likely to be for shelter and clean drinking water. The
authorities in Myanmar indicated today that international assistance would
be welcome.

This initial funding will be channelled through experienced humanitarian
partner organisations working in Myanmar including the Red Cross, European
NGOs and UN agencies. The Commission is deploying additional experts from
its regional humanitarian offices in Bangkok and New Delhi to strengthen
its team dealing with the crisis.

Contacts:

Amadeu Altafaj Tardio +32 2 295 26 58

Agnès Marie +32 2 296 77 43

____________________________________

May 3, Burma Campaign UK
Burma regime failing to help cyclone victims

The Burma Campaign UK today condemned the regime in Burma for failing to
give adequate warnings to the population about the cyclone that hit Burma
on Saturday, and failing to adequately help victims.

“This is yet another example of how the regime ignores the welfare of the
people of Burma,” said Mark Farmaner, Director of the Burma Campaign UK.
“Instead of warning people about the potential danger, state-owned
newspapers were full of propaganda telling people that they must vote for
a sham constitution that will keep the military in power.” The regime is
holding a referendum on Saturday 10th May on a constitution that the
military has designed to give a civilian face to continued military rule.

Burma Campaign UK sources report devastation in Rangoon, with roofs torn
from buildings and widespread damage. What little communications
infrastructure that exists has been severely damaged, making contact in
the low lying Irrawaddy Delta around Rangoon difficult. It is this area
where the worst devastation is likely to have occurred, with most people
living in homes made of bamboo that would struggle to survive torrential
rains and winds of 120km an hour. Sea levels could also have risen by up
to 3.5 metres in coastal areas, causing severe flooding.  In addition to
potential loss of life, livestock, food stocks and crops are likely to
have been severely damaged.

The regime ruling Burma places severe restrictions on the United Nations
and international aid agencies delivering humanitarian assistance in the
country. Aid to states with ethnic minorities face even more restrictions,
especially in the east of Burma where the regime is engaged in a war
against ethnic Karen, Karenni and Shan populations. Until now the United
Nations and international community has done little to challenge the
regimes restrictions on delivery of aid.

 “Initial indications are that this cyclone has caused severe damage and
that many thousands of people will need assistance,” said Mark Farmaner.
“We know the regime won’t look after people, and instead is likely to
block delivery of aid.  The international community must stand up to the
regime and insist that aid is allowed to be delivered to those in need.”

Over 90 percent of the population of Burma are believed to live in
poverty, while the regime spends around half of its income on the
military. Aid agencies are not allowed to operate freely in the country.
Several agencies have been forced out of Burma, including the Global Fund
for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, which was forced to withdraw from the
country because of unacceptable conditions by the military. The regime
also restricted humanitarian access following the 2004 tsunami, and does
not allow aid in areas of Eastern Burma where it is engaged in a war of
ethnic cleansing.

For more information contact Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK,
on 07941239640.