http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/myanmar/ en-us Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:14:15 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2063574/posts Ancient artifacts on Bronze Age and Iron Age were excavated in Thazi township in the central Mandalay division recently, proofing an evidence of transition from Bronze culture to Iron culture in Myanmar, according to state-run newspaper The New Light of Myanmar on Saturday. The Archaeological, Natural Museum and Libraries Department under the Ministry of Culture unearthed the ancient artifacts near Kanthitgon village in Thazi township, Mandalay division, in June this year, the paper said. Foreign archaeologists once considered that in the early history, Myanmar was transferred from Stone Age into the Iron Age without flourishing of Bronze culture, it said,... Chinaview http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2063574/posts#comment Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:14:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2059872/posts Than Htay (pronounced Thon Tay), 24, who arrived in Hartford in June, is one of about 23,000 Burmese refugees who have legally immigrated to American cities in the past two years under a United Nations resettlement program. It is the U.N.'s largest such effort. The Hartford Courant http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2059872/posts#comment Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:08:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2052761/posts UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations top humanitarian affairs official said on Monday that the world body had incurred "significant" losses in Myanmar due to a distorted official exchange rate while delivering cyclone aid. < > It reported last week that the military junta had changed the official exchange rate since the cyclone so that the estimated loss had increased from 15 percent to 25 percent. < > Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2052761/posts#comment Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:21:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051252/posts BANGKOK, Thailand - As much as 25 percent of cyclone relief aid in Myanmar is being lost because of the military government's foreign exchange system, a United Nations official said Friday. Dan Baker, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Myanmar, said he is concerned that the losses could upset donors who have already shown a reluctance to fund the relief effort following the May 2-3 cyclone that killed 84,537 people, according to the government. "This is a big issue. This is a big concern," Baker said. "The donors aren't going to give us money if they know they will (lose) a... MSNBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051252/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:27:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1075536/posts U.S. policymakers were urged Monday to pay close attention to the "growing relationship" -- including reported nuclear links -- between the Stalinist regime in North Korea and the military junta in Burma. Keith Luse, an Asia specialist aide to Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), said that the North Korea-Burma issue was a key area of concern to the Foreign Relations Committee chairman. "Is North Korea providing nuclear technology to the Burma military?" he asked during a panel discussion in Washington, hosted by the Heritage Foundation. In 2002, Yangon announced that Russia was helping it to build a 10-megawat nuclear reactor which... CNSNews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1075536/posts#comment Tue, 10 Feb 2004 23:58:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026443/posts YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's military regime has forced cyclone survivors to do menial labor in exchange for food and stepped up a campaign to evict displaced citizens from aid shelters, an international human rights group said Thursday. London-based Amnesty International also said authorities in several cyclone-hit areas continue to divert aid despite the junta's pledge to crack down on the problem weeks ago. "Unless human rights safeguards are observed, tens of thousands of people remain at risk," Amnesty said in a report released Thursday. "Respect for human rights must be at the center of the relief effort." More than a... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026443/posts#comment Thu, 5 Jun 2008 14:15:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026140/posts Myanmar cyclone: Burma's junta turns away US aid ships By Thomas Bell, South East Asia Correspondent Last Updated: 1:46PM BST 04/06/2008 Four American navy ships, laden with relief supplies, are steaming away from the Burmese coast because the military junta will not allow them to help starving cyclone victims. On board the boats were 22 urgently needed heavy-lift helicopters, amphibious vehicles and water purification equipment. The Burmese regime claimed that, far from wanting to help the 2.5 million survivors of last month’s cyclone, the US was in fact intent on stealing the country’s oil resources. "I am both saddened and... The Telegraph (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026140/posts#comment Wed, 4 Jun 2008 23:44:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2025676/posts A top U.S. military commander says American navy ships off Myanmar's coast will leave the area after failing to get the junta's permission to help with cyclone relief efforts. Adm. Timothy Keating says that he wants the USS Essex and accompanying vessels to resume their previously scheduled duties on Thursday. The ships were in the region for international exercises. Keating made them available to help with relief efforts for last month's cyclone and they were deployed near Myanmar in case they obtained permission to enter the country's waters. But Myanmar allowed only limited U.S. military aid flights to the country,... Anchorage Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2025676/posts#comment Wed, 4 Jun 2008 04:35:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2025672/posts U.S. Navy ships positioned off the coast of Myanmar will soon leave the area after the country's junta refused to give them permission to deliver aid to cyclone victims, a top U.S. commander said Wednesday. Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, said the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Essex and other ships will resume their previous operations Thursday. AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2025672/posts#comment Wed, 4 Jun 2008 04:32:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2023767/posts Rangoon - The military junta began evicting destitute families from cyclone relief centres on Friday and rejected foreign food aid - because people can survive perfectly well by hunting "large, edible frogs." The New Light of Myanmar "newspaper", a government mouthpiece, also warned that foreign relief workers would snoop inside homes, and condemned donors for linking aid money to full access to the hardest-hit regions in the Irrawaddy Delta. The tirade came as the junta tightened its political grip on the country, extending democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest and announcing that its new constitution has been enacted.... The Bangkok Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2023767/posts#comment Fri, 30 May 2008 23:41:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2023700/posts YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's military government is forcing cyclone victims out of refugee camps and "dumping" them near their devastated villages with virtually no aid supplies, U.N. and church officials said Friday. Eight camps set up by the junta for homeless victims in the Irrawaddy delta town of Bogalay were "totally empty" as the clear-out continued, said Teh Tai Ring of UNICEF, speaking at a meeting of U.N. and private aid agency workers discussing water and sanitation issues. "The government is moving people unannounced," he said, adding that authorities were "dumping people in the approximate location of the villages, basically... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2023700/posts#comment Fri, 30 May 2008 20:54:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2022219/posts MONTREAL - Canadian women are being asked to volunteer their undergarments in an international effort to shame Myanmar's ruling junta into giving citizens greater access to humanitarian aid and human rights. Organizers launched the Canadian edition of the Panties for Peace! campaign Tuesday with a call for women to send their underwear to the Myanmar embassy in Ottawa. The campaign plays off regional superstitions that contact with women's panties can sap a man's power. Activists claim the fear is shared by the leaders of the country's military regime. "If you don't believe me, you can bring this to the Yangon... THE CANADIAN PRESS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2022219/posts#comment Wed, 28 May 2008 01:22:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2019658/posts Bangkok - The United Nations will send nearly a quarter of a million condoms into cyclone-hit Myanmar to help needy survivors with no access to contraceptives, a UN official says. So far, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said it had sent 72 800 condoms to survivors struggling to maintain their family planning after the storm hit in early May. A total of 218 400 condoms would be delivered, UNFPA aid advisor Chaiyos Kunanusont said. "We don't want regular use of contraception disrupted. An emergency usually damages the health system, so people don't have access to condoms and contraceptives," said Chaiyos. News 24.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2019658/posts#comment Thu, 22 May 2008 13:34:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2019165/posts YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar shunned a U.S. proposal for naval ships to deliver aid to cyclone victims today, according to state-run media, dimming hopes that the vessels could provide a major boost to relief efforts. The New Light of Myanmar, a mouthpiece for Myanmar's ruling junta, said that such assistance "comes with strings attached," citing fears that Washington wants to overthrow the country's government and seize its oil. The United States, as well as France and Great Britain, have naval vessels loaded with humanitarian supplies off the Myanmar coast, and had been waiting for a green light to deliver them.... chron.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2019165/posts#comment Wed, 21 May 2008 15:18:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2018519/posts SINGAPORE, May 20 (Reuters) - The World Bank is not in a position to provide any financial aid to cyclone-stricken Myanmar because the country has not been servicing its World Bank debt since 1998, a bank official said on Tuesday. "The World Bank is not in a position to assist Myanmar at this time," World Bank Managing Director Juan Jose Daboub told reporters, adding that it was the bank's policy not to provide funds to countries that have fallen behind on debt repayments. Reuters (excerpt) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2018519/posts#comment Tue, 20 May 2008 06:58:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2017401/posts Myanmar cyclone: Burma junta may be prosecuted over aid block By Philip Sherwell in New York Last Updated: 6:17PM BST 17/05/2008 Burma's ruling generals could be threatened with prosecution for crimes against humanity as a last resort to pressure them to allow an international relief operation to reach desperate cyclone survivors. A boy looks out onto his devastated village near Yangon, Burma "The strategy is to raise the bar for the consequences of not allowing humanitarian intervention by introducing the threat of prosecution for crimes against humanity," said a senior US health expert involved in the discussions. "The goal is... The Telegraph (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2017401/posts#comment Sat, 17 May 2008 17:27:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2016926/posts Caritas Internationalis emergency response efforts are underway in Myanmar's Ayeyarwady division and Yangon districts, two of the areas hardest hit by Cyclone Nargis, for an estimated 40,000 people who will receive vital relief, including food, shelter, water, medical care and psychological support. Catholic Relief Services is supporting Caritas Internationalis and partners on the ground after one of the worst cyclones to hit the region in decades struck this delta region on May 2. To date, 1,000 people have received food, and another 16,000 people are expected to receive relief supplies in the coming days. More than 100 local volunteers have... Catholic Relief Services http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2016926/posts#comment Fri, 16 May 2008 16:26:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2016915/posts All, Mission To The World, the PCA's international ministry, has issued an appeal for funds to aid in the relief of Myanmar cyclone victims. I know that most of us have heard stories about countries and large relief agencies having their hands tied, but God will provide a way for His church to break through manmade barriers. _________________________________________________________________ Horrifying and harrowing stories are emerging in the aftermath of the catastrophic tropical cyclone that devastated much of already poverty-striken Myanmar. Reuters News is reporting as many as one million people left homeless. No one really knows how high the death toll... MTW http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2016915/posts#comment Fri, 16 May 2008 16:03:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2016623/posts Myanmar cyclone death toll will hit 200,000, say British By Graeme Jenkins in Rangoon Last Updated: 12:05AM BST 16/05/2008 British officials have said that the number of dead and missing after the Burmese cyclone is expected to rise to more than 200,000. There are more calls for the secret military regime in Burma to allow aid workers into the country, following the deadly cyclone. The Foreign Office said British officials were working on the basis that 217,000 people had died or were unaccounted for. The figure, which a spokesman said was based on new United Nations estimates, is approaching the... The Telegraph (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2016623/posts#comment Fri, 16 May 2008 01:19:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2016059/posts Myanmar cyclone: 130,000 may have died as second storm gathers By Graeme Jenkins in Rangoon Last Updated: 11:07PM BST 14/05/2008 The Red Cross said that almost 130,000 people may have perished in the Burmese cyclone disaster, as a second deadly storm gathered off the Burmese coast. There are more calls for the secret military regime in Burma to allow aid workers into the country, following the deadly cyclone. The organisation said that the toll may be 127,990, almost 30,000 higher than the figure estimated by the US embassy in Rangoon. A further 2.51 million people have been left battling to... The Telegraph (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2016059/posts#comment Wed, 14 May 2008 23:23:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015978/posts Surprise, surprise. The first relief planes which flew into Burma, or Myanmar, as its military junta, much cared for by our Department of Foreign Affairs, calls that godforsaken place, were American military planes carrying precious bottled water, food, medicines and mosquito nets, all paid for by American taxpayers and given willingly with no strings attached. As is well known, Burma has been ruled by a brutal and murderous military junta since 1988, and is now suffering not only the yoke of collectivist brutality but also the fierce lash of nature, which renders puny all of man’s works. Aren’t they irritating,... Daily Dispatch (South Africa) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015978/posts#comment Wed, 14 May 2008 20:38:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015801/posts Another powerful storm headed toward Myanmar's cyclone-devastated delta, where so little aid has reached that the U.N. warned on Wednesday of a "second wave of deaths" among an estimated 2 million survivors. The U.S. military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center said there is a good chance that "a significant tropical cyclone" will form within the next 24 hours and head across the Irrawaddy delta area. The area was pulverized by Cyclone Nargis on May 3, leaving at least 34,273 dead and 27,838 missing, according to the government. The U.N. says the death toll could exceed 100,000. An estimated 2 million survivors... Minneapolis StarTribune (aka The Red Star) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015801/posts#comment Wed, 14 May 2008 14:49:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015709/posts Again today, the New York Times demonstrates that the MSM isn't opposed to America's invasion of foreign countries. There's really only one precondition: the national security interests of the United States must not be at stake. Thus it is that the NYT op-ed page today runs Aid at the Point of a Gun by Robert D. Kaplan, a national correspondent for The Atlantic and a fellow at the Center for a New American Security. The gist is that while it could bring ongoing obligations, the armed invasion of Myanmar for purposes of bringing aid to the cyclone victims is justifiable... NewsBusters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015709/posts#comment Wed, 14 May 2008 10:55:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015263/posts Many cyclone victims are getting spoiled food from Myanmar's junta instead of the high-quality supplies being delivered by foreign governments and charities, victims and aid workers said Tuesday. A longtime foreign resident of Myanmar's biggest city, Yangon, told The Associated Press in Bangkok by telephone that angry government officials have complained to him about the military misappropriating aid. He said the officials told him that quantities of the high-energy biscuits rushed in on the World Food Program's first flights were sent to a military warehouse. They were exchanged by what the officials said were "tasteless and low-quality" biscuits produced by... AP (via Yahoo) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015263/posts#comment Tue, 13 May 2008 15:07:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2014809/posts YANGON, Myanmar - The United States delivered its first relief supplies to Myanmar on Monday, as the U.N. urged the reclusive nation to open its doors to foreign experts who can help up to 2 million cyclone victims facing disease and starvation. Snip Britain's opposition leader called for air-dropping aid if Myanmar's military government remains adamant. Snip The U.S. military C-130 cargo plane, packed with 14 tons of supplies, flew out of the Thai air force base of Utapao and landed in Yangon, capping prolonged negotiations to persuade Myanmar's military government to accept U.S. help. Snip Though international assistance has... PeoplePC Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2014809/posts#comment Mon, 12 May 2008 15:38:20 GMT