PRAY FOR BURMA by Mousson
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May 10, Irrawaddy
The smell of death and destruction - Min Khet Maung / KungYanGone
(The correspondent has returned from Kungyangone Township after
interviewing several survivors of Cyclone Nargis.)
Thirty-five miles from Rangoon, the air smells of death. Dead bodies and
the rotting cadavers of buffaloes lie in the gutters of this town, so near
Burma’s largest city and the country’s once proud capital.
Overhead, a cruel sun beats down on the homeless who seek shelter amid the
ruins of their houses.
Multimedia (View)
Pu Suu, 14, cowers under a tattered umbrella, as she cooks a pot of rice
to feed the other five survivors of her family. A younger sister lies sick
and crying in her mother’s arms.
“This might be our last pot of rice,” says Pu Suu with resignation.
Four thousand of Kungyangone’s residents are thought to have died when the
cyclone hit one week ago.
The survivors have been assured by the authorities that the town has
enough supplies to feed all. One member of the town’s Union Solidarity and
Development Association
said the organization is delivering enough rice to the storm victims,
pointing at the sacks of rice in his house. Building materials were being
handed out to people to rebuild their demolished homes, he said.
Yet his neighbor Ko Tin, 40, whose house was swept away by the storm, said
he and the five members of his family had received only four cans of rice
a day. Burma people use an empty condensed milk can as a measurement, and
one person normally requires more than one and a half of cans of rice per
day. They had not received any building materials, he said.
A woman in her fifties said her household of 18 people was also receiving
just four cans of rice a day. Her children and grandchildren lay hungry on
the floor around her. “I tell them to go in search of food and wood and
fetch it by hook or by crook.”
Some residents say donors of aid are forced to leave the supplies and cash
with the security forces stationed in the center of the small town.
“This deters the flow of donations from outside [the town],” said a
35-year-old teacher. “People don’t believe their honesty, because people
know they [the security forces] will try to win the hearts of the people
with the food the donors give.”
Members of the security forces patrol the streets, but none seems
interested in the plight of the homeless.
Tun Than, 44, supervises the care of more than 800 homeless in a local
monastery. He points to three policemen walking through the monastery
compound and says: “We don’t need the police. There are no more homes to
protect. We just need rice.”
Comments (91)
Mousson
May 11, Associated Press Myanmar junta hands out aid boxes with generals' names Myanmar's military regime distributed international aid Saturday but plastered the boxes with the names of top generals in an apparent effort to turn the relief effort for last week's devastating cyclone into a propaganda exercise. The United Nations sent in three more planes and several trucks loaded with aid, though the junta took over its first two shipments. The government agreed to let a U.S. cargo plane bring in supplies Monday, but foreign disaster experts were still being barred entry. State-run television continuously ran images of top generals including the junta leader, Senior Gen. Than Shwe handing out boxes of aid to survivors at elaborate ceremonies. One box bore the name of Lt. Gen. Myint Swe, a rising star in the government hierarchy, in bold letters that overshadowed a smaller label reading: "Aid from the Kingdom of Thailand." "We have already seen regional commanders putting their names on the side of aid shipments from Asia, saying this was a gift from them and then distributing it in their region," said Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, which campaigns for human rights and democracy in the country. "It is not going to areas where it is most in need," he said in London. State media say 23,335 people died and 37,019 are missing from Cyclone Nargis, which submerged entire villages in the Irrawaddy delta. International aid organizations say the death toll could climb to more than 100,000 as conditions worsen. The U.N. estimates that 1.5 million to 2 million people have been severely affected and has voiced concern about the disposal of bodies. With phone lines down, roads blocked and electricity networks destroyed, it is nearly impossible to reach isolated areas in the delta, complicated by the lack of experienced international aid workers and equipment. But the junta has refused to grant access to foreign experts, saying it will only accept donations from foreign charities and governments, and then will deliver the aid on its own. Farmaner said the world needs to move to deliver aid directly to victims in Myanmar, also known as Burma. "People we are speaking to in Burma say aid must be delivered anyway even if the regime doesn't give permission," he said. "We have had a week to convince the regime to behave reasonably, and they are still blocking aid. So the international community needs to wake up and take bolder steps." However, aid providers are unlikely to pursue unilateral deliveries like airdrops because of the diplomatic firestorm that it could set off. So far, relief workers have reached 220,000 cyclone victims, only a small fraction of the number of people affected, the Red Cross said Friday. Three Red Cross aid flights loaded with shelter kits and other emergency supplies landed Friday without incident. But the government seized two planeloads of high-energy biscuits enough to feed 95,000 people sent by the U.N. World Food Program. Despite the seizure, the WFP was sending three more planes Saturday from Dubai, Cambodia and Italy, even though those could be confiscated, too. "We are working around the clock with the authorities to ensure the kind of access that we need to ensure it goes to people that need it most," WFP spokesman Marcus Prior said in Bangkok, Thailand. Richard Horsey, a spokesman for U.N. humanitarian operations, said an international presence is needed in Myanmar to look at the logistics of getting boats, helicopters and trucks into the delta area. "That's a critical bottleneck that must be overcome at this point," he said in Bangkok. He warned there was a great risk of diarrhea and cholera spreading because of the lack of clean drinking water and sanitation. "We are running out of time here. This could be a huge problem and this could lead to a second phase which could be as deadly as the cyclone," he said. Heavy rain forecast in the next week was certain to exacerbate the misery. Diplomats and aid groups warned the number of dead could eventually exceed 100,000 because of illnesses and said thousands of children may have been orphaned. Survivors from one of the worst-affected areas, near the town of Bogalay, were among those fighting hunger, illness and wrenching loneliness. "All my 28 family members have died," said Thein Myint, a 68-year-old fisherman who wept while describing how the cyclone swept away the rest of his family. "I am the only survivor." Officials have said only one out of 10 people who are homeless, injured or threatened by disease and hunger have received some kind of aid since the cyclone hit May 3. The government's abilities are limited. It has only a few dozen helicopters, most of which are small and old. It also has about 15 transport planes, primarily small jets unable to carry hundreds of tons of supplies. "Not only don't they have the capacity to deliver assistance, they don't have experience," said Farmaner, the British aid worker. "It's already too late for many people. Every day of delays is costing thousands of lives."
aquablue
Quand je pense que dans nos pays on vit dans l'opulence......... cette photo me touche beaucoup !
delbeke
Pourquoi prend-il une autre tragédie pour ouvrir les yeux du monde à ce qu'arrive dans Birmanie ? C'est criminel. Oui, nous prierons pour eux, mais laisse l'espoir que ces prières obtiennent de l'eau et la nourriture propre à ces gens pauvres.
efron_241
My thoughts are indeed with Birma.. Thanks for the upload.. they need all our attention and support.. in spirit and in real things.. There was an other great Birma image uploaded 10 minutes ago by an other Artist.. but it was removed by Rendero.. Perhaps tooo political (it had no nudity at all) I am glad this one is now online too.. as Birma needs attention and support over 100.000 death over 1.000.000 without a home. unbelieveble numbers for a storm
CaressingTheDark
Beautiful and touching and my prayers are with them
SapUS59
very sad indeed, my thoughts are with these people.
flaviok
Com certeza estaremos rezando minha amiga, é inacreditavel que isto ocorra. Imagem notavel que leva a atenção e preces para lá.
jeroni
gracias amiga por ser tan valiente en recordad esta catástrofe mil gracias
Jay-el-Jay
This is a massive tragedy which seems to be made worst by the politics involved.Thank you for the information.I am hoping that the situation somehow improves.
MarciaGomes
MINHA AMIGA MARAVILHOSA FOTO E O BELO SORRISO DESTA CRIANÇA PARA ALEGRAR NOSSO CORAÇÃO NESTE TRISTE MOMENTO ONDE MUITAS VIDAS COMO ESTA CRIANÇA PRECISAM DE AJUDA E DE PRECES,DÓI MEU CORAÇÃO SABER QUE TEM MUITOS PAISES QUERENDO AJUDAR E' ELES" NÃO ACETAM AJUDA E SABER QUE UM MONTE DE CRIANÇAS VÃO MORRER SE NÃO FOR AJUDADA. VOU REZAR POR ELAS.
magnus073
Je continuerai à prier pour eux avec tout mon coeur mon ami. Il est si horrible ce qui leur est arrivé. Il est aussi horrible que les gens essaieraient de profiter pendant ce temps.
MagikUnicorn
Super Rosely Je m'en attandait pas moin de toi :) Mais d'après moi il est trop tard pour la prière...maintenant ils faut bouger et redonner espoir de vivre au peuple et envoyer le Hezbollah vaincre la junte militaire... Je suis tellement navré pour le bon et malheureux peuple Birman que j'arrive plus a m'exprimer. Bon Weekend tout de même RESTE FORTE Magik
LudyMelltSekher
Querida amiga, Yo no tengo palabras para esto, el horror que se vive hoy día es tramendo y me duele el alma de que pasen estas cosas, sinceramente un trabajo asombroso, fantástico. ¡felicitaciones!!! Abrazo y beso. bendiciones.Ludy.
mhespadinha
We will pray for Burma and for all the other opressed people all over the world! Save the human being! Kisses, Lena
goodoleboy
Excellent portrait of the poor soul, trying to crack a smile through all her torment. Also, pray for the demise of that cruel military junta that rules the nation.
doarte
We both share the same spirit of loss, the same disgust for what some rulers do to the helpless, the same hope that our humanity will triumph over military monsters. +5 from doarte
sharky_
My heart reaches out to the people. So sad to hear. Aloha
OrphanedSoul
Such sadness among the depreciation of life, it is always the wealthy who burden the people, and governments who hunger for power and control who empovrish its people,
RubyT
If ever there was a situation the warrents an invasion and takeover of a government, this is it! The United Nations forces should be in there now taking care of these people!! The government of Burma should be removed! I feel so badly that the government there is confescating the aid that's being sent. This is all so wrong!!! I am praying for those people.
JOEANOMALY
The U.N. should help the victims first, worry about politics later. Excellent photo and journalism!!!!!
aerodreams
Excellent photo and journalism
bebert
no comment...
PIERRE25
Superbe photo
carlx
Fantastic portrait!!! Agree with Chris!
tallpindo
So print up lots of stickers of the generals names and paste them randomly to the packages and move the stuff. Charity is a tough go when accountability is set up.
Hendesse
Wonderful portrait, what a friendly and peaceful face. I am very sad about the situation in Burma.
VelvetMoxie
I just cannot imagine treating your own people like that...this whole situation is just incomprehensible! There is a spot in Hell just waiting for these generals but sadly they probably won't get to it in time to save these poor people!
sessan53
Excellent photo and portrait. :-) hugs sessan
virginiese
Vraiment un triste sort ! Espérons qu'ils se sortirons de cette situation le plus vite possible. Une photo touchante !
RodolfoCiminelli
Without doubts if there is a thing that the man cannot manage it is to the nature, and many times she gets angry and it discharges his destructive forces, it is impressive as a town because of a natural phenomenon can suffer so much pain and destruction. The image is impressive and she has a great expressive force.....!!!