The collapse of a 2,300-year-old Buddhist temple 15 minutes from Rangoon is being seen as a sign of the spirits’ disapproval of the military dictatorship and has Senior General Than Shwe worried, sources inside Burma say,
“It is a mysterious event, and people are talking about little else since they heard the news,” said an editor of a Rangoon newspaper. “Many pagodas have collapsed in the past because of natural disasters. But this pagoda collapsed not because of a disaster and even killed people. I have never seen this kind of event in my lifetime. We are afraid that bad things will follow soon.”
The 180-feet-high brick Danote Pagoda in Dala township came tumbling down the evening of May 30 as workers were restoring it, killing an estimated 20 workers and injuring dozens more. The collapse followed soon after Than Shwe’s wife, Kyaing Kyaing, and other family members dedicated the restored pagoda May 7 by placing a diamond umbrella atop the gold leaf-covered structure. The “hti,” or diamond umbrella, of a significant Buddhist pagoda is often adorned with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and other gems. A holy and powerful person such as a ranking monk, wealthy person or country ruler generally places the hti over the pagoda. The holy power of the pagoda accepts only the righteous person‘s donation, according to traditional belief. The diamond umbrella placed by the general’s wife fell to the ground during the collapse, signaling the spirits’ displeasure.
Danote is among the most famous pagodas in Burma. Built by a king of the southern region, the pagoda has been rocked by earthquakes many times in its long history. The Danote Pagoda was badly damaged by Cyclone Nargis in May 2008, and General Than Shwe ‘s wife leaded the repairs.
In Burma, a Buddhist nation where common people as well as the ruling generals depend largely on the advice of astrologers, Pagodas are closely tied to the power and the fortune of the country’s rulers. In ancient history, pagodas are said to have shown a beautiful holy light when the king ruled the country well. But pagodas have collapsed when the king was soon to lose power. Burma’s rulers traditionally believe that building and renovating pagodas will increase their power. Conversely, an event like the collapse of the Dala pagoda is a bad sign for a ruler’s fortune.
Despite an official ban on reporting the collapse in the media, news of the incident spread like wildfire throughout Burma, and the people believe that bad tidings are in store for General Than Shwe, sources in Burma said. A well-known astrologer said the guardian sprits of this pagoda and heaven have given Than Shwe a warning sign. The astrologer said the spirits didn’t accept his family donation because they are bad rulers who killed monks, students and democracy activists in many democracy protests over the years and arrested many innocent people seeking democracy.
Those arrested include Noble Peace Prize-winner Aung San Su Kyi, the democratically elected president of Burma and opposition leader who has spent 13 of the past 19 years under house arrest. Su Kyi, 64, is currently on trial for giving shelter to an American man who swam across a lake to her heavily-guarded home. Many Burmese see the trial as another attempt by the Burmese regime to prevent her from taking part in coming elections in 2010.
“I am an educated person. I don’t want to give any comment for this traditional belief,” said a Burmese physician living in Rangoon. “But I can say that it is a really a tough time for General Than Shwe and the other Burmese generals. Now they have got a lot international pressure for putting Aung San Su Kyi on trial again.”
Than Shwe’s wife led the restoration of the pagoda, demanding that the construction company finish the job before the end of May, which an astrologer chose as the most propitious time for the dedication ceremony. Burmese journalist have learned that Kyaing Kyaing urged township authorities to conscript navy men and local villagers as forced laborers to finish the project on schedule, therefore rushing the work. The military junta officially blamed the collapse on poor construction work and immediately began questioning construction company officials. Those officials and others including township authorities fear arrest, sources said.
The Junta issued an official warning after the collapse that people who speak of the collapse and rumors concerning the general’s family could face three years in prison.
The pagoda’s collapse is a clear sign of General Than Shwe’s fate, a well-know Rangoon fortune teller said. “General Than Shwe knows about his bad fortune. We are sad for the deaths of the people killed in the collapse. But we happy that the gods will give Than Shwe punishment sooner or later. If you don’t believe my fortune telling, let’s see what happens to him.”
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Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Catastrophe Worse Than a Cyclone
May 2 is the first anniversary of Cyclone Nargis for the people who live in the Irrawaddy Delta, where most of the more than 138,000 victims drowned when the cyclone roared through during the night. Even though Myanmar’s Military government says its rehabilitation process in the cyclone-affected area is going well, tens of thousands of survivors still struggle to eke out a life.
The biggest issue is drinking water. People in one village go to another village, a one-day trip, to get and buy drinking water. But many cyclone victims don’t even have money to buy drinking water. In the Hi Gyi Gyan region, Napudaw Township, there remains only20 percent of the drinking water for 9,637 people, Win Kyi, who is working for a local NGO, said.
Even in good years, villagers in the southern delta have had to buy water when ponds dry up. Now, prices are likely to be higher than ever because so many boats were destroyed in the deadly cyclone. Ponds, the traditional source of drinking water in the area, became heavily salinated when a three-metre tidal surge inundated much of the low-lying area.
Drinking water is not the only problem. Rice fields remain bare, even as food handouts wind down. Many schools have not reopened yet. Some reopened schools are short of teachers. A half million people live in rudimentary shelters. According to Myanmar government’s figure, an estimated 3.5 million people now live in the delta's towns and villages and the number is 15 percent of a total population of 53 million.
The situation of the Myanmar cyclone victims is made worse by the brutal military regime.
A few days after Cyclone Nagris hit Myanmar, China was hit with a 7.9 magnitude earthquake, killing an estimated 9,000 people at May 12. The news from China said eighty percent of the buildings in Sichuan province collapsed .But the reactions of each government were very difference. China sent some 130,000 army and paramilitary troops to the area by May 15 to carry out rescue and aid operations in the quake-hit areas, according to the government. Premier Wen Jiabao went immediately to the earthquake affected zone, while President Hu Jintao took a three-day tour of affected areas a few days after the earthquake. In the glare of the international spotlight over the pace of rescue operations, President Hu Jintao encouraged rescuers to quickly reach all affected area touched by the quake.
However, the Myanmar military regime only allowed international aid to the cyclone-affected area nearly three weeks after Cyclone Nargis hit, and then with restrictions.
“I am the only survivor from my family. My 1-year-old son and I survived from the high water wave at the top of a coconut tree. But we were living in water for the whole night. Even when the water level was down, nobody came to rescue us. We were waiting for help for three days without food and water. Finally, my son died because of starvation and cold,” Nyein Shwe, a 30-year-old woman from Kyaine Chanung village, Bogalay Township said.
The junta refused aid for three weeks, while thousands more suffered and died, leaving behind orphaned children and starving babies.
According to cyclone survivors, the junta did not even inform the Burmese people that there would be an approaching cyclone. Even though the Indian Ocean weather agency gave proper warnings to the Myanmar Department of Meteorology, Myanmar state-owned radio only launched a normal storm warning five hours before the cyclone struck. The government did not even explain what kind of storm was approaching. Nobody was evacuated before Nagris made landfall.
“We heard a storm warning from the radio. But there were many storms in the Delta during monsoon. We thought it was a normal storm announcement. Nobody told us that it is a dangerous storm which we never had before. If we had known about this, we would have moved to the nearest town before the cyclone struck,” Nyein Shwe, who lost her parents, four siblings and her only son in the cyclone, said.
In Buddhist Myanmar, Burmese people believe that disasters like flooding, earthquakes and storms happen because a bad government rules the country. Military rulers don’t want to allow bad news in the media fearing people will assume they are bad rulers. Htun Lwin, Director General of the Myanmar Department of Meteorology, later gave the reason his government announced this storm as a normal storm warning.
“At the time, we could not find a proper Burmese word to describe this kind of cyclone. It is easy to say in English. But in Burmese, we only have one word for cyclone. It was not perfect to describe Cyclone Nargis. This is why people did not fear our warning. Now we are trying to find a beautiful Burmese word to describe a big storm for the next time,” Htun Lwin said.
While the Junta could not find a proper word to describe Cyclone Nagris, more than 138,000 people perished, most of them farmers and fishermen in the Delta region. Deaths were also reported in and around Yangon, the country's largest city. Some 2.4 million people were severely affected by the cyclone with up to 800,000 people displaced. Moreover, the Burmese military junta continues to harass and detain people whodespite the odds have gone out of their way to help victims of Cyclone Nargis. Many well wishers including famous comedian Zaganar, Editor Zaw Thet Htwe and Myanmar Tribune Editor-in-Chief Aung Kyaw San and his team. They were arrested for helping cyclone victims. All detainees have recived long prison sentences. Zarganar was sentenced to 59 years in remote prison far from Yangon. Myanmar’s governnmet also held a controversial referendum May 10 in the wake of the destruction wrought by Cyclone Nargis. The outcome ratified a constitution designed to cement the military’s political power with a 92.4 percent “yes” vote.
According to official figures from the Yangon office of the World Food Program, the United Nation's appeal for $477 million closed one year later with only 66 percent funding ($315 million). Agriculture is the least-funded sector, with a shortfall of $42 million. Only 17,000 out of 375,000 destroyed houses have been rebuilt. Aid groups estimate at least 500,000 survivors, including 200,000 children, are living in makeshift shelters, primarily due to a lack of funding.
In February, the Tri Core GroupTCG (Association of South East Asian Nations, Governement of Myanmar, United nationS country team in Myanmar) said recovery would take three years and cost $700 million.
Dozens of foreign aid agencies are currently working in the Delta but some fear the regime may close the door in the future. The government has imposed a lot of restrictions on aid groups .
We heard the news about the government not allowing foreign aid agencies working in the cyclone area for next year. The government wants to finish all projects. They don’t want foreingners working in this area. They said every time is fine now,“ Win Kyi said.
World Deadly disatster Tsunami occured in South Esat Asia at 2004 . Until now, the rehabalition process in the tsunami-affected area is still going on. But the Myanmar Junta recently reported in state-owned newpapers that the Nargis-affected is recovering from the disater, and the lives of cyclone survivors are improving. State news reports said that Burmses people is enough if they have traditional fish paste. No more Hamburger and no more aids.
One year after the devastating cyclone Nargis hit Burma; the junta is already busy preparing for elections in 2010. The government’s announcement about preparing for upcoming elections in 2010 comes at a time where thousands of cyclone survivors still need basic assistance including food, farming equipments and shelter.
„Even one year later, the situation of the survivors is still bad . But government only care coming election instead of its poor survivors. We Burmeses peopel are facing a catastrophe worse than a cyclone,” Win Kyi added
The biggest issue is drinking water. People in one village go to another village, a one-day trip, to get and buy drinking water. But many cyclone victims don’t even have money to buy drinking water. In the Hi Gyi Gyan region, Napudaw Township, there remains only20 percent of the drinking water for 9,637 people, Win Kyi, who is working for a local NGO, said.
Even in good years, villagers in the southern delta have had to buy water when ponds dry up. Now, prices are likely to be higher than ever because so many boats were destroyed in the deadly cyclone. Ponds, the traditional source of drinking water in the area, became heavily salinated when a three-metre tidal surge inundated much of the low-lying area.
Drinking water is not the only problem. Rice fields remain bare, even as food handouts wind down. Many schools have not reopened yet. Some reopened schools are short of teachers. A half million people live in rudimentary shelters. According to Myanmar government’s figure, an estimated 3.5 million people now live in the delta's towns and villages and the number is 15 percent of a total population of 53 million.
The situation of the Myanmar cyclone victims is made worse by the brutal military regime.
A few days after Cyclone Nagris hit Myanmar, China was hit with a 7.9 magnitude earthquake, killing an estimated 9,000 people at May 12. The news from China said eighty percent of the buildings in Sichuan province collapsed .But the reactions of each government were very difference. China sent some 130,000 army and paramilitary troops to the area by May 15 to carry out rescue and aid operations in the quake-hit areas, according to the government. Premier Wen Jiabao went immediately to the earthquake affected zone, while President Hu Jintao took a three-day tour of affected areas a few days after the earthquake. In the glare of the international spotlight over the pace of rescue operations, President Hu Jintao encouraged rescuers to quickly reach all affected area touched by the quake.
However, the Myanmar military regime only allowed international aid to the cyclone-affected area nearly three weeks after Cyclone Nargis hit, and then with restrictions.
“I am the only survivor from my family. My 1-year-old son and I survived from the high water wave at the top of a coconut tree. But we were living in water for the whole night. Even when the water level was down, nobody came to rescue us. We were waiting for help for three days without food and water. Finally, my son died because of starvation and cold,” Nyein Shwe, a 30-year-old woman from Kyaine Chanung village, Bogalay Township said.
The junta refused aid for three weeks, while thousands more suffered and died, leaving behind orphaned children and starving babies.
According to cyclone survivors, the junta did not even inform the Burmese people that there would be an approaching cyclone. Even though the Indian Ocean weather agency gave proper warnings to the Myanmar Department of Meteorology, Myanmar state-owned radio only launched a normal storm warning five hours before the cyclone struck. The government did not even explain what kind of storm was approaching. Nobody was evacuated before Nagris made landfall.
“We heard a storm warning from the radio. But there were many storms in the Delta during monsoon. We thought it was a normal storm announcement. Nobody told us that it is a dangerous storm which we never had before. If we had known about this, we would have moved to the nearest town before the cyclone struck,” Nyein Shwe, who lost her parents, four siblings and her only son in the cyclone, said.
In Buddhist Myanmar, Burmese people believe that disasters like flooding, earthquakes and storms happen because a bad government rules the country. Military rulers don’t want to allow bad news in the media fearing people will assume they are bad rulers. Htun Lwin, Director General of the Myanmar Department of Meteorology, later gave the reason his government announced this storm as a normal storm warning.
“At the time, we could not find a proper Burmese word to describe this kind of cyclone. It is easy to say in English. But in Burmese, we only have one word for cyclone. It was not perfect to describe Cyclone Nargis. This is why people did not fear our warning. Now we are trying to find a beautiful Burmese word to describe a big storm for the next time,” Htun Lwin said.
While the Junta could not find a proper word to describe Cyclone Nagris, more than 138,000 people perished, most of them farmers and fishermen in the Delta region. Deaths were also reported in and around Yangon, the country's largest city. Some 2.4 million people were severely affected by the cyclone with up to 800,000 people displaced. Moreover, the Burmese military junta continues to harass and detain people whodespite the odds have gone out of their way to help victims of Cyclone Nargis. Many well wishers including famous comedian Zaganar, Editor Zaw Thet Htwe and Myanmar Tribune Editor-in-Chief Aung Kyaw San and his team. They were arrested for helping cyclone victims. All detainees have recived long prison sentences. Zarganar was sentenced to 59 years in remote prison far from Yangon. Myanmar’s governnmet also held a controversial referendum May 10 in the wake of the destruction wrought by Cyclone Nargis. The outcome ratified a constitution designed to cement the military’s political power with a 92.4 percent “yes” vote.
According to official figures from the Yangon office of the World Food Program, the United Nation's appeal for $477 million closed one year later with only 66 percent funding ($315 million). Agriculture is the least-funded sector, with a shortfall of $42 million. Only 17,000 out of 375,000 destroyed houses have been rebuilt. Aid groups estimate at least 500,000 survivors, including 200,000 children, are living in makeshift shelters, primarily due to a lack of funding.
In February, the Tri Core GroupTCG (Association of South East Asian Nations, Governement of Myanmar, United nationS country team in Myanmar) said recovery would take three years and cost $700 million.
Dozens of foreign aid agencies are currently working in the Delta but some fear the regime may close the door in the future. The government has imposed a lot of restrictions on aid groups .
We heard the news about the government not allowing foreign aid agencies working in the cyclone area for next year. The government wants to finish all projects. They don’t want foreingners working in this area. They said every time is fine now,“ Win Kyi said.
World Deadly disatster Tsunami occured in South Esat Asia at 2004 . Until now, the rehabalition process in the tsunami-affected area is still going on. But the Myanmar Junta recently reported in state-owned newpapers that the Nargis-affected is recovering from the disater, and the lives of cyclone survivors are improving. State news reports said that Burmses people is enough if they have traditional fish paste. No more Hamburger and no more aids.
One year after the devastating cyclone Nargis hit Burma; the junta is already busy preparing for elections in 2010. The government’s announcement about preparing for upcoming elections in 2010 comes at a time where thousands of cyclone survivors still need basic assistance including food, farming equipments and shelter.
„Even one year later, the situation of the survivors is still bad . But government only care coming election instead of its poor survivors. We Burmeses peopel are facing a catastrophe worse than a cyclone,” Win Kyi added
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