Cyclone Giri - Two Years On - Burma Action Ireland

Cyclone Giri: Two Years On
225 “Maj-Gen Hla Min inspects relief work for cyclone victims in Rakhine State”, NLM, 30 Oct. 2010, http://
www.myanmargeneva.org/10nlm/oct/n101030.htm accessed on 12 Oct. 2011.
226 “Cyclone Giri pummels west Burma”, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), 25 Oct. 2010,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11617613 accessed on 3 Dec. 2011; The Red Cross reported that
authorities had prepared relief camps as the DMH predicted sea levels of up to 12 feet (3.7 metres). “Cyclone
weakens as it blows across Burma”, Agence France Press (AFP), 24 Oct. 2010,
http://www.terradaily.com/afp/101023070907.o9a5f49v.html accessed on 15 Oct. 2011.
227 Aye Sapay Phyu, “Cyclone Giri crosses Rakhine coastline”, MMT, 25-31 Oct. 2010, http://www.mmtimes.com/
2010/news/546/news54602.html accessed on 16 Oct. 2011.
228 Aye Sapay Phyu, “Relief effort aiding cyclone survivors”, MMT, 1-7 Nov. 2010,
http://www.mmtimes.com/2010/news/547/news54702.html accessed on 19 Oct. 2011.
229 Than Htike Oo, “Refugees move to MRCS camp”, MMT, 1-7 Nov. 2010,
http://www.mmtimes.com/2010/news/547/news54704.html accessed on 19 Oct. 2011.
230 MRCS: 2010 Annual Report (27/04/2011) Dami e n
231 Francis Wade, “Cyclone starves 86,000 of income”, DVB, 9 Nov. 2010,
http://www.dvb.no/news/cyclone-starves-86000-of-income/12743 accessed on 19 Oct. 2011. Our fieldworkers could
not access and conduct interviews in the camps.
232 According to the UN the Arakan region was harder to access than the Irrawaddy Delta. “Post-cyclone dysentery
kills 4”, DVB, 1 Nov. 2010, http://www.dvb.no/news/post-cyclone-dysentery-kills-4/12495 accessed on 14 Oct.
2011.
233 David Scott Mathieson, “How the Burmese government might exploit last week’s earthquake”, Human Rights
Watch, 29 Mar. 2011, http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/03/29/burma-disastrous accessed on 9 Nov. 2011.
234 “Legal action for any relief aid embezzlement”, National Disaster Preparedness Central Committee Announcement,
Nay Pyi Taw, 15 May 2008, NLM, 16 May 2008, p.1. http://myanmargeneva.org/NLM2008/eng/5May/n080516.pdf
accessed on 8 Nov. 2011.
235 See subsection “Socio-Economic Underdevelopment”.
236 The local donors shared with us the challenges that they had had while they were distributing the relief items to the
victims in the most affected villages, such as limitation of the items or funding that they donated, and taxation of
their relief items on the way to affected villages where distribution of those relief items (mainly rice) would
be donated by the local authorities/navy ships and security checkpoints along the rivers. Permission was also
required from the authorities for going to the affected villages for the distribution of the community donated relief
supplies.
237 See subsection “Relief Efforts”.
238 “NGOs, INGOs in Burma to Pay Withholding Tax”, The Irrawaddy, 15 Jan. 2011,
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.phpart_id=20532 accessed on 8 Nov. 2011.
239 For instance, “Commander performs relief work in Giri storm-hit regions”, NLM, 7 Nov. 2010, http://
myanmargeneva.org/NLM2010/eng/11Nov/n101107.pdf accessed on 7 Nov. 2011.
240 Primary research by GRC field workers.
241 Myanmar Cyclonic Storm GIRI, Situation Report #3, 26 October 2010 http://www.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/
MMR_OCHA-ESR-3.pdf accessed on 7 Nov. 2011.
242 Ibid.
243 Primary research by GRC field workers.
244 “Human rights concerns a month after Cyclone Nargis”, Amnesty International, 5 June 2008, ASA 16/013/2008,
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA16/013/2008/en/8592e938-32e5-11dd-863f-e9cd398f74da/
asa160132008eng.html accessed on 8 Nov. 2011.
245 Primary research by GRC field workers.
246 The government sent 100s MT of mostly dipterocarp to reconstruct schools and monasteries in Pauktaw Township.
U Khin Maung Lwin, the Township Chairman, privately sold 30 MT of this timber to Daw Khin Mya Win’s timber
shop in Pauktaw, after which it was transported by local timber syndicates to Sitetway. Khin Maung Lwin is responsible
for the cyclone relief and reconstruction and received timber, tin, plastic sheets, clothes, and food donated by the
government and (I)NGOs, however, he has been selling some of the goods on the black market while many victims
were still living in huts without roofs or wells. “Township Chairman Becomes Wealthy After Misappropriating Giri
Relief”, Narinjara, 27 Dec. 2010, http://www.narinjara.com/details.aspid=2843 accessed on 8 Nov. 2011.
247 “Dykes in Arakan State must be repaired before monsoon”, Mizzima, 30 Apr. 2011,
http://www.bnionline.net/index.php/news/mizzima/10660-dykes-in-arakan-state-must-be-repaired-beforemonsoon.html
accessed on 4 Nov. 2011.
248 “Relief aid used by USDP to garner votes”, Narinjara, 4 Nov. 2010, http://www.bnionline.net/news/narinjara/9679-
relief-aid-used-by-usdp-to-garner-votes.html accessed on 3 Nov. 2011.
249 “I want to help my own people”, Human Rights Watch, 28 Apr. 2010, http://www.burmalibrary.org/
docs08/I_want_to_help_my_own_people.pdf accessed on 3 Nov. 2011.
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