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  Jyan_Bon at 09:26 PM JST - 6th May

  I have a copy of Myanmar Alin (new lights of myanmar) junta's OFFICIAL NEWS PAPER dated 29.05.08; in which the weather forecast clearly said ........ " according to the readings at 6:00 pm Myanmar standard time, the powerful cyclone NARGIS in the Bay of Bangal is slowly moving North WITHOUT getting much stronger . Within 24 hours it will move slowly towards N.E. WITHOUT gaining any strength. Due to the cyclone Rakine, Mon, Kayin states,Irrawaddy ,Yangon ,Bago and Tanintharyee divisions will have thundery rain within 48 hours. Myanmar's coastal areas and off shore regions can expect occasional thundery stroms and during the storm THE WIND SPEED WILL BE AROUND 40 TO 45 MILES PER HOUR......"

  Actually "the REAL WIND SPEED EXCEEDED 120 MILES PER HOUR" when it hit Yangon. What a difference.

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  Jyan_Bon at 09:32 PM JST - 6th May

  Correction: The date on the Myanmar Alin (New Lights of Myanmar)junta's official newspaper was 29.04.08.

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  usaexpat at 11:32 PM JST - 6th May

  I wonder if this tragedy and the inability of the Burmese government to respond will finally end their rule? As for Laura Bush's efforts I am pretty sure she will get the aid in and to the people who need it.

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  Triumvere at 11:41 PM JST - 6th May

  Now at 22,000 dead.

  41,000 people still unaccounted for...

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  Jyan_Bon at 12:54 AM JST - 7th May

  The cyclone killed 22,000 and confirmed 41,000 unaccounted for. Over 23 million are effectively made homeless by this natural disaster..........AND YET the Myanmar military junta WILL GO AHEAD WITH IT'S NATIONAL REFERENDUM VOTING in a few days ,on the 10th.of May.

  Talking about HEARTLESS DICTATORS, Myanmar stands only second to North Korean's Kim J.Ill.

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  Speed at 01:26 AM JST - 7th May

  ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) should be ashamed of itself for letting in this dictatorial military junta. ASEAN let them in so they could have greater leverage in persuading Myanmar (Burma) to move away from this type of repressive government.

  Unfortunately, with the continued abuses by this thug government, ASEAN has shown no resolve to speak up nor have enough integrity to kick Myanmar out.

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  Nordon at 02:23 AM JST - 7th May

  What will happen if there is a rebellion/civil war over this?

  Should the international community/ASEAN step in?

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  Nyein_Chan at 04:06 AM JST - 7th May

  Why doesn’t the Burmese government – or the Referendum Commission in particular – want to postpone the referendum in the entire country?

  One possible reason is that the Cyclone hit very badly only in several regions of the country and the referendum could go on as scheduled in the rest of the country.

  Even in the five regions declared as natural disaster zone, approximately 10 districts were incapacitated but the referendum could be held as scheduled in the rest. The latest news is that the government postponed the referendum in the severely-hit areas, 40 out of 45 townships in Yangon province and 7 in Irrawaddy.

  If the referendum is held in five days on May 10 as scheduled in the country except the 47 most-severely-hit townships, the government – less concerned about another attempt at people’s power revolution in the presence of international aid workers – might be able to allow more international aid teams into the country, especially for the longer-term reconstruction and rebuilding. The international teams wouldn’t – and shouldn’t plan to –stay on in Burma for the next two or three years until after the general elections scheduled in 2010.

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  Nyein_Chan at 04:06 AM JST - 7th May

  The darker side of the story is that the Burmese military government might be wrong in thinking that the natural disaster and its efforts might be in its favor, resulting in the approval of the constitutional draft.

  The usual scenario of the aftermath of natural disasters is that the soldiers – usually national guards in U.S – marched into the disaster hit areas, cleaned up the mess, do the difficult tasks and embraced the people’s favor. I believe that the Burmese soldiers did so and should also regain its people’s favor.

  However, the oversea Burmese Opposition is getting one step ahead and maligning the Burmese military, wrongly alleging in the Burmese-language radio programs that the military fail to adequately respond the natural disaster of such magnitude; that they don’t see soldiers in the streets although there were soldiers cleaning up the main roads (think snow routes) essential for resuming the trade and essential government services. You can look at the wire news photos with the soldiers cleaning up the debris from the fallen trees on the main roads.

  One such tactics is to fault the military for not helping the people enough, placing the words in the mouth of the anti-regime trishaw driver and the First Lady of U.S.

  We will have to see the true attitude of the Burmese people towards the military and their appreciation of its relief efforts when the referendum poll results from the worst-hit areas are released in the future.

  Can the Burmese military win back – as it did win until the mid 1980’s – the hearts and minds of its people in addition to winning the referendum?

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  Nyein_Chan at 04:07 AM JST - 7th May

  The disaster management of the Burmese military government wasn’t slow.

  It took only one day (less than twenty-four hours) for Burmese government to declare “emergency” in the five storm-hit regions. It took less than a day for Burmese government to form a crisis-management team. It took less than two days for the Burmese Prime Minister to go and visit the storm-hit regions. It took much longer during Katrina for President Bush to declare “natural disaster zone.” It took five-six days for President Bush to suspend his vacation in Texas ranch and much longer to show up in New Orleans, Louisiana.

  It took six days for Burmese government to declare curfew and crack down the anti-government protests in October 2007. It took them only one day (less than twenty-four hours) to declare “emergency” in the five storm-hit regions.

  The Burmese army, navy and air forces in the storm-hit regions are full mobilized for rescue operations and disaster management. You don’t see a lot in the news because most of the photos and video footages you saw were taken in the largest city Yangon, which is the most visible, but NOT the worst hit area. The international media broadcasts hardly any photos and video footage from the worst-hit regions because their photographers don’t and cannot go there.

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  tclh at 05:17 AM JST - 7th May

  Nyein Chan ,the more you talk,the less donation people will give.Those soldiers you mention above may be clearing fallen trees around dictator's palaces.That is all.Your government should let foreign journalists in so people can have accurate informations.What a disaster with so many deaths,what a bunch of INCOMPETENT rulers;they should all resign .

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  anticnn at 06:03 AM JST - 7th May

  ** It took much longer during Katrina for President Bush to declare “natural disaster zone.” It took five-six days for President Bush to suspend his vacation in Texas ranch and much longer to show up in New Orleans, Louisiana. **

  Democracy sucks！！！

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  anticnn at 06:05 AM JST - 7th May

  The death toll is now 22000.

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  Alphaape at 06:57 PM JST - 7th May

  Nyein Chan, Though I am not a strong "bell ringer" for Pres. Bush, I can tell you that with the state of the art communication equipment, he could be on the toilet at his ranch and still have better command and control capability to reach out and connect with the right people than the junta in Burma.

  Also, unlike in Burma, prior to the arrival of Katrina, there was ample warning. I could follow the storms path over here in Japan and knew what was going on, and with the 24 hour news cycle in the states and the varous weather channels, everyone knew it was coming. Unlike Burma, as from a prior post someone mentioned that the state run press was down playing the intensity of the storm.

  I am sure that the ruling class had ample time to get to safety and prepare, much like the connected people in New Orleans. Remember the mayor was able to get his family out well in time, and others did also. They even had a plan to try to get as many people out but fell through on incompetence.

  I hope that the junta will put aside their petty gripes and control and let the aid flow in faster to avert a huge disaster that could result from this.

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  skipthesong at 08:08 PM JST - 7th May

  anticnn: I am not sure if I am correct, but declaring a place a disaster must come from the bottom up, meaning mayor - governor - president.. and both Nagin and Blanco are also to blame.

  We shouldn't criticize what the US is offering. Help is help after all

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