Posted on 05/06/2008 6:58:38 PM PDT by rontorr
ADDING INSULT TO INJURY
Burmese are angry at the junta's slow response to the cyclone, writes Achara Ashayagachat in Rangoon
As if Burmese people have not suffered enough from military dictatorship and political disarray, Cyclone Nargis, which hit Burma early on Saturday morning, ravaged the country's largest city of Rangoon as it devastated many other areas. Since the storm, people in many parts of the former capital have had to live without tap water, electricity and telephone connections.
Four riot control battalions stationed in the capital to control any political unrest arising from the referendum on a new constitution scheduled for this Saturday failed to give prompt help to the distraught citizens. Instead they waited for instructions from the generals.The situation would certainly have been much better if the government had provided a timely warning.
''There was little news about the coming storm two days before it arrived. By that time, state radio and television should have alerted the people,'' said a Burmese tour guide whose house was damaged. They authorities should have evacuated them to a safer area,
Foreigners also had a hard time in the aftermath of the catastrophe.
Thai citizen Sangwien Boonchauy, who works for a Burmese company, was among several thousand foreigners stuck at Rangoon international airport.
He had to wait at the airport for more than six hours after his flight landed on Monday _ two days after the cyclone struck _ as his contact did not show up.
Mr Sangwien, who came to work in Burma six years ago, was assisted by a group of Thai journalists who gave him a ride to the Thai embassy on Pyi road.
Despite the disaster, the Burmese government is insisting it will hold the referendum on the constitution as planned.
Only in affected townships with a lack of polling facilities will the referendum be delayed for two weeks, according to state radio. The majority of the country will be voting this Saturday.
The 'no' vote might be high as people are becoming angry with the slow response to the natural disaster. But many believe the result will turn out as the government hopes, with a majority endorsing the junta-penned constitution.
this can possibly be seen as the Junta’s way of killing a bunch of people without having to do it themselves like they did last year.
“George Bush don’t care about Burmese peoples.”
What dictatorial regime ever cared about its people?
Ray “Schoolbus” Nagin approach.
this is exactly what they want. kill a lot and you don’t have to feed them.
this is exactly what they want. kill a lot and you don’t have to feed them.
I guess “Brownie, you’re doing a good job” has another meaning here.
Has anybody seen the pics of the buddists standing around in their red dresses?
These people need blue jeans and gloves and quickly.
Mingalabar!
What news of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi ?
Of her compound?
This would be the perfect opportunity for the Junta
to announce that ‘sadly’ Aung San Suu Kyi had an
‘accident’ ....
Sometimes I think the best thing we could do for this and other countries is air-drop ak-47s, RPGs, and ammo.
Yep, let them go at it …
all comm in the country is down except for some of the press that have Thai cellphones and 2 way radios which only the govt’ and military have, I haven’t heard of anyone getting messages out. http://burmadigest.info/ has a few stories, but I haven’t come across any mention of her yet. wouldn’t you know, I just dumped a lot of those links I saved from the last crisis last week. Sorry to all the Burma watchers I have not been up to date posting things from over here next door, but I have been wrapped up in both the hassles of extending my Thai Visa, and out of it from being run off the road by a blind driver,, dislocating my L shoulder and A/C joint, and fighting with the Insurance co. Ron
Sometimes I think the best thing we could do for this and other countries is air-drop ak-47s, RPGs, and ammo.
I totally agree, and maybe a couple of Spec Ops teaams to coordinate things, just last week the monks were back at it on a small scale, and a few mentioned they were about to lose the robes and arm themselves if they resonded like the last time
“this is exactly what they want. kill a lot and you don’t have to feed them”
feed them? The government wasn’t feeding them. They were feeding the government.
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