Cyclone Giri - Two Years On - Burma Action Ireland

Cyclone Giri: Two Years On
A: I’d like to encourage and request both our government and the international community that they
should give enough support and increase assistance for rebuilding hundreds of schools damaged across
Arakan State, and other necessary support to enable the schools to purchase learning materials and
stationery for thousands of school children. I’d like to reiterate to our new government to increase the
budget for education, particularly in the remote areas most affected by Cyclone Giri.
16.
Gender: Male Place of interview: Mae Sot
Age: 29 Date of interview: 10 September 2011
Profession: Businessman Type of interview: Audio
When Cyclone Giri struck on 22 October, this man from Pauktaw Town, was working in his family
business on a motor boat.
“We could not balance the motor boat, as the wind of the cyclone was too strong. We had lost control
and the boat was heading in no specific direction. When the boat ran aground on the bank of the river
it was hit by a large, broken, tree and severely damaged. Fortunately, all of us in the boat survived, but
we could not move our boat. The strong wind threw us into the river. We tried to swim to higher land, but
we were not successful due to the strong wind and river current. We became separated from each other.
Luckily, I grabbed hold of a plastic box floating by, held onto it, and was carried along by the current
of the river. I saw a lot of dead bodies, as I exhaustedly swam to the bank. Then I met a person who, like
me, was also struggling to swim to the river bank. We both grabbed onto a broken tree floating in the
river and used it to help us swim to the river bank. We reached the bank, at approximately 3am of 23
October. Once we were able to get our bearings, we realised that we were in Dwaychaung Village in
Mraybon Township. The village was severely damaged by Cyclone Giri. I saw that all of the houses in
the village were totally destroyed by broken and uprooted trees and coconut trees. We were given some
food by the youths of the village. I only stayed one day in that village, before heading to Prumwan
Village where I heard that there were 70 deaths.
Within a few days of the cyclone, 3 INGOs had arrived in Mraybon Township. These INGOs had been
instructed that they had to supply any relief items to the cyclone victims under the management and
supervision of the army officers based in Mraybon Township. However, the relief workers did not accept
this and they tried to negotiate with the army personnel to allow them to oversee the distribution of the
relief supplies. Unfortunately, the negotiation was not successful, so the INGO relief workers had to go
back home without giving any support to the cyclone victims.
Then we heard that the Western Commander was coming to Mraybon Township. So the affected villagers
were forcibly summoned to build a helipad for his arrival. Some of the villagers agreed to help build
this helipad, but the majority refused to participate. Those who helped build the helipad received some
relief supplies, but those who refused, were not given any relief items, not even rice or clothes, as
punishment. I feel very bitter at seeing the terrible way the cyclone survivors were treated.
I was stranded in Kyunthaya, Prumwan and Ngapathon villages for a month, before I was able to return
to Pauktaw Town. My family business had been destroyed by the cyclone, so I went to Thailand to seek
work. I have been living and working as a migrant worker in Thailand for 8 months now. I’m not alone.
There are many youths from Mraybon, Pauktaw, Kyaukphru and Marmbra townships, all of which were
severely affected by Cyclone Giri, working as migrant workers in different areas of Thailand.”
17.
Gender: Male Place of interview: Kyaukphru Chinkarri village, Kyaukphru Township
Age: 43 Date of interview: 3 September 2011
Profession: Farmer Type of interview: Written
“There are many labourers who do not have any farmland, so they have to work for stone breaking
sites. They do not receive any support from the government or NGOs. Consequently, most of the people
are living hand-to-mouth in our village. If families are registered with Better Life NGO, based in
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