Myanmar dares West for more cyclone aid
Back to work: Myanmar women plant rice seedlings in Dalla, on Wednesday.The Red Cross said it was increasing its appeal for Myanmar to help victims recover from the destruction wrought by Cyclone Nargis. Picture: AFP
Saturday, July 12, 2008
MYANMAR'S military government yesterday challenged Western donors to give more aid to the cyclone-hit nation, state media reported.
The ruling junta ran an editorial in the official New Light of Myanmar comparing Western nations' military spending with their aid donations.
"Powerful countries have spent hundreds of billions of dollars on the Iraqi and Afghanistan issue. How much will they spend on rehabilitation of the victims to the storm 'Nargis'?" the newspaper editorial said.
The article came a day after the United Nations and aid organisations more than doubled their appeal from an initial US$201 million ($291 million), now 70 per cent funded, to US$481.8 million.
John Holmes, the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian assistance, said at UN headquarters in New York that the new appeal would cover 103 projects, ranging from food supplies, agriculture, water and sanitation, health, to schooling and shelter.
Holmes said the new appeal included US$201 million that the UN asked for in an earlier appeal, which had not been met by the international community. Cyclone Nargis left 138,000 dead or missing early May and Myanmar authorities were strongly criticised for blocking emergency aid efforts.
Despite retaining a 400,000-strong army and earning US$2 billion a year in revenue from natural gas supplies, the junta was slow to rally its own supplies to the 2.4 million people severely affected by the storm.
The editorial also claimed journalists had falsely reported the extent of the need in the worst-hit Irrawaddy delta region.
"In practice, make-up and imaginative news stories are contrary to prevailing objective conditions," the paper said.
"And if such a news story has an impact on the goodwill of the donors, that will harm the interests of the storm victims," it added.
Despite seeking further aid, the paper claimed life had returned to normal for cyclone victims, contradicting a joint assessment by the UN and the Asean last month, which reported only 45 per cent of survivors were receiving food from international aid agencies.
"Victims no longer need to stay in public rest houses, prayer halls of pagodas, and monasteries en masse ... they are ploughing fields that were flooded with saltwater.... Fishermen are having a good time with new fishing boats and fishing nets... schools are now lively with voices of studies," the paper said. The military has ruled Myanmar since 1962.
Agencies
The ruling junta ran an editorial in the official New Light of Myanmar comparing Western nations' military spending with their aid donations.
"Powerful countries have spent hundreds of billions of dollars on the Iraqi and Afghanistan issue. How much will they spend on rehabilitation of the victims to the storm 'Nargis'?" the newspaper editorial said.
The article came a day after the United Nations and aid organisations more than doubled their appeal from an initial US$201 million ($291 million), now 70 per cent funded, to US$481.8 million.
John Holmes, the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian assistance, said at UN headquarters in New York that the new appeal would cover 103 projects, ranging from food supplies, agriculture, water and sanitation, health, to schooling and shelter.
Holmes said the new appeal included US$201 million that the UN asked for in an earlier appeal, which had not been met by the international community. Cyclone Nargis left 138,000 dead or missing early May and Myanmar authorities were strongly criticised for blocking emergency aid efforts.
Despite retaining a 400,000-strong army and earning US$2 billion a year in revenue from natural gas supplies, the junta was slow to rally its own supplies to the 2.4 million people severely affected by the storm.
The editorial also claimed journalists had falsely reported the extent of the need in the worst-hit Irrawaddy delta region.
"In practice, make-up and imaginative news stories are contrary to prevailing objective conditions," the paper said.
"And if such a news story has an impact on the goodwill of the donors, that will harm the interests of the storm victims," it added.
Despite seeking further aid, the paper claimed life had returned to normal for cyclone victims, contradicting a joint assessment by the UN and the Asean last month, which reported only 45 per cent of survivors were receiving food from international aid agencies.
"Victims no longer need to stay in public rest houses, prayer halls of pagodas, and monasteries en masse ... they are ploughing fields that were flooded with saltwater.... Fishermen are having a good time with new fishing boats and fishing nets... schools are now lively with voices of studies," the paper said. The military has ruled Myanmar since 1962.
Agencies
Business Besides Oil
