My Articles

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The areas affected by Cyclone Nargis are inhabited by people who would not have voted for the regime if given the choice. Hence, it was not surprising that the regime were not keen to save these people who would not be of help to their referendum. It was reported that after the cyclone, these survivors were sent back to their villages and were forced to vote for them. They forced the surviving refugees back to their villages so they could not get any assistance or aid, and forcibly removed the begging starving people; and furthermore, the survivors had also been forced to reconstruct houses ravaged by the cyclone.

The regime pretended that everything was going well for the survivors and that they were doing their best for these people.

In essence, the regime was well prepared for the United Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s visit and knew how to manipulate him the way they did with Ibrahim Gambari.

They said they needed US $11 billion to rebuild communities in the affected areas but we can be sure that most of the money will go into their own pockets and in buying arms and luxuries.

A simple-minded health minister of Burma, Gen. Kat Sein, even disclosed the health budget of Burma in a medical conference. He said, “Senior General is much centred on health, I asked the annual budget of $3 million and he granted me $4 million”. What he didn’t know was that just a week ago; BBC announced that the Japan govt had helped Burma a grant of $130 million for the improvement of health programs that year.

There is also a fear among some Burmese that UN officials in Burma may work with the regime’s business cronies, who have been placed under economic sanctions by the US and some EU countries. The regime is said to have recently offered contracts to Tay Za, the CEO of HtooTrading Company, Tun Myint Naing, a.k.a Steven Law, the director of Asia World, ZawZaw, the CEO of Max Myanmar and others to reconstruct schools, hospitals and government buildings in the affected area.

The Regime is using the goodwill of the world as an opportunity to carry on with their diabolical business as usual. Therefore, there is really no “reconstruction” at all in a sense, but only the continuation of benefiting themselves and their cronies, by tricking, manipulating and killing anyone who gets in their way. Once again, the Regime has hoodwinked the world. Never once did they let go of the control they have on the people of Burma, the UN or the world governments.

I would also like to look at the positive side on the situation of Burma after Nargis. They say that tragedy brings people together, and it is no exception in the aftermath of the cyclone. Ordinary people in Yangon have been helping out, cooking and feeding the survivors. Taxi drivers, factory owners, college students, teachers and other Yangon residents - many of whom lost their own homes - are among those organizing gruelling trips into the Irrawaddy delta, the hardest-hit region. They are taking up collections at businesses and donating food, clothes and water. Some who are too poor to give money or supplies are offering their labour to help clear debris and rebuild villages levelled by the May 3 cyclone.

Other people of Burma, such as the people from Shan States have been generously sending donations and cattle despite having so little themselves. Reports of the authorities ordering them to give money and cattle to the army for the cyclone survivors was a source of concern for the Shan because their donations may not reach the hands of the cyclone victims.

Many exiled people of Burma are now involved in campaigns for Burma since the Cyclone Nargis and many of these people are getting together to promote global awareness on Burma and her suffering people. There are now more people who are getting to know more about Burma and the regime.

Thus on a global and sympathetic level, people are uniting for Burma, however, as an ex- student leader once said, “Words alone will not act”, or as the saying goes “Action speaks louder than words”.

‘Art of Patience’ blog wrote “Before Nargis, everyday, thousands of Burmese die of TB, HIV, pneumonia, malaria, malnutrition and many viruses and bacteria from the regime’s insanitary hospitals, their poverty and non-responsiveness of poorly-supplied medical professionals in Burma. There is no civil society, not a single word blurted out from a single Burmese from the public to think and fight for protection of the people. Nargis could not kill more than a million people. The regime has killed and will continue to kill thousands of Burmese in their living silence if the rule of law doesn’t emerge in Burma, even at such crisis. Nargis is not a real or a sustainable problem in Burma”.

It will be some time before Burma changes, and to reconstruct Burma, we need to rebuild Burma from scratch, and that can happen only without the regime.

 

Feraya

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