YANGON, Myanmar —

Myanmar’s military regime distributed international aid Saturday but plastered the boxes with names of top generals in an apparent effort to turn the relief effort for last week’s devastating cyclone into a propaganda exercise.

The United Nations sent in three more planes and several trucks loaded with aid even though the junta took over its first two shipments. The government agreed to let a U.S. cargo plane bring in supplies on Monday, but foreign disaster experts were still being barred entry.

State-run television continuously ran images of top generals—including the junta leader, Senior Gen. Than Shwe—handing out boxes of aid to survivors at elaborate ceremonies.

One box bore the name of Lt Gen Myint Swe, a rising star in the government hierarchy, in bold letters that overshadowed a smaller label reading: “Aid from the Kingdom of Thailand.”

“We have already seen regional commanders putting their names on the side of aid shipments from Asia, saying this was gift from them and then distributing it in their region,” said Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, which campaigns for human rights and democracy in the country.

“It is not going to areas where it is most in need,” he said in London.

State media say 23,335 people died and 37,019 are missing from Cyclone Nargis, which submerged entire villages in the Irrawaddy delta. International aid organizations say the death toll could climb to more than 100,000 as conditions worsen.

The U.N. estimates 1.5 million to 2 million people have been severely affected and has voiced concern about the disposal of bodies.

With phone lines down, roads blocked and electricity networks destroyed, it is nearly impossible to reach isolated areas in the delta, complicated by the lack of experienced international aid workers and equipment.

But the junta has refused to grant access to foreign experts, saying it will only accept donations from foreign charities and governments, and then will deliver the aid on its own.

Farmaner said the world needs to move to deliver aid directly to victims in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

“People we are speaking to in Burma say aid must be delivered anyway even if the regime doesn’t give permission. We have had a week to convince the regime to behave reasonably, and they are still blocking aid. So the international community needs to wake up and take bolder steps,” he said.

But aid providers are unlikely to pursue unilateral deliveries like airdrops because of the diplomatic firestorm that it could set off.

So far, relief workers have reached 220,000 cyclone victims, only a small fraction of the number of people affected, the Red Cross said Friday. Three Red Cross aid flights loaded with shelter kits and other emergency supplies landed Friday without incident.

But the government seized two planeloads of high-energy biscuits—enough to feed 95,000 people—sent by the U.N. World Food Program. Despite the seizure, WFP was sending three more planes Saturday from Dubai, Cambodia and Italy even though those could be confiscated, too.

“We are working around the clock with the authorities to ensure the kind of access that we need to ensure it goes to people that need it most,” WFP spokesman Marcus Prior said in Bangkok, Thailand.

Richard Horsey, a spokesman for U.N. humanitarian operations, said an international presence is needed in Myanmar to look at the logistics of getting boats, helicopters and trucks into the delta area.

“That’s a critical bottleneck that must be overcome at this point,” he said in Bangkok.

He warned there was a great risk of diarrhea and cholera spreading due to the lack of clean drinking water and sanitation.

“We are running out of time here. This could be a huge problem and this could lead to a second phase which could be as deadly as the cyclone,” he said.

Heavy rain forecast in the next week is certain to exacerbate the misery. Diplomats and aid groups warned the number of dead could eventually exceed 100,000 because of illnesses and said thousands of children may have been orphaned.

Survivors from one of the worst-affected areas, near the town of Bogalay, were among those fighting hunger, illness and wrenching loneliness.

“All my 28 family members have died,” said Thein Myint, a 68-year-old fisherman who wept while describing how the cyclone swept away the rest of his family. “I am the only survivor.”

Officials have said only one out of 10 people who are homeless, injured or threatened by disease and hunger have received some kind of aid since the cyclone hit May 3.

The government’s abilities are limited. It has only a few dozen helicopters, most which are small and old. It also has about 15 transport planes, primarily small jets unable to carry hundreds of tons of supplies.

“Not only don’t they have the capacity to deliver assistance, they don’t have experience,” said Farmaner, the British aid worker. “It’s already too late for many people. Every day of delays is costing thousands of lives.”

About 20,000 body bags were being sent so volunteers from the Myanmar chapter of the Red Cross can start collecting bodies, said Anders Ladekarl, head of the Danish Red Cross.

Meanwhile, the junta held a national constitutional referendum Saturday, ignoring calls from the opposition and from around the world for its postponement in the wake of last week’s devastating cyclone that killed at least 23,000 people and left as many as a million homeless.

Voters in most parts of the country went to the polls to cast their votes to decide whether the military-drafted constitution should be adopted or not.

The junta had announced Tuesday that it was postponing until later this month voting in 40 out of 45 townships in the Yangon area and seven out of 26 in the Ayerawaddy delta, which took the brunt of the Cyclone Nargis.

Myanmar has 27 million eligible voters but it was not announced how many polling stations were set up in the country or when the results of the referendum will be announced.

The draft constitution, which the junta says would usher in multiparty democracy, includes provisions that would guarantee the military’s continued role in the government and effectively ban detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from ever becoming the country’s leader.

Pro-democracy groups including Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy have urged voters to reject the draft charter, saying it is designed to entrench military rule and limit the role of independent political parties.

Western counties and human rights groups have said conditions for a free and fair referendum do not exist in Myanmar because of widespread repression, including arrests of opposition activists, media censorship, bans on political meetings and gatherings, the lack of an independent referendum commission and courts to supervise the vote.

Wire reports

13 Comments

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  some14some at 06:20 PM JST - 10th May

  what's in a name...Another interesting quote from Shakespeare: "I understand a fury in your words,But not the words." This is what Western journalists are doing. Things seem peaceful in Myanmar and aid supply is in full swing. No reason for Myanmar to allow 'tsunami' of foreign aid workers that will only worsen the situation there.

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  Jyan_Bon at 06:58 PM JST - 10th May

  some14some; You do not know the truth on the ground. I do, because I am one of the citizens in the country. These generals will NEVER allow any international aid to come into the country and help (in person), which the generals (shalowly) think that their incompetence will be highlighted. They (make belief themselves) that they are the only heroes of the country and no foreigners must be seen by the locals as saviours. In Arche Indonesia,the US war ships did a fantastic job in saving tens of thousands of lives on Tsunami victims. A week is ample time to save the victims. BUT This kind of large scale international rescue efforts will never be seen in Burma, THANKS TO THE BURMESE MILITRY HEROES. The heroes in Burma has gone ahead with their nationwide referendum voting despite of this unprecedented disaster the country has ever encountered in it's living memory.

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  Coligny at 07:00 PM JST - 10th May

  Are you a former correspondent in Iraq ? Military junta, confiscation of foreign aid, distribution of said foreign aid as a propaganda tool preceding a vote about said junta. For you, this somehow manage to qualify as peacefull ?

  Sorry if i don't misquote shakespeare to hide any spin...

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  naylin at 07:03 PM JST - 10th May

  This is an outrageous robbery out of donations. What a disgrace to be using other people's donations and cheat it to be one man's (Lt Gen Myint Swe's) personal gift to the people. Shameful act but this is not unexpected from such people killers though.

  Things are nowhere near peaceful in Myanmar. Even after a week, military Regime still has no idea of the actual impact of the Nargis and they are not even trying at it. Hundreds of villages are destroyed and state television and newspapers has not even able to announce any list of wiped out villages at all except for a few big townships until now. Sattelite images have proved so many villages turned to big pool of water after the cyclone.

  Hundreds of thousands of survivors are piled up in townships like Myaung Mya, Laputta with no effective aid supply system. Military has no infrastructure to handle this situation at all.
  An example- to supply aids to the flooded area which is not accessible by land, they don't have enough helicopters. Their soldiers(privates) themselves are poor and hungry bunch (of course while the generals are millionaires) of people who has no idea how to handle this kind of situation at all. (They are only trained to oppress the people in any way they can).

  One latest news from inside of myanmar says that in Myaung Mya, military locked up the compound of tens of thousands of cyclone victims from nearby villages under the reason that they might be robbing the town since they are just hungry and homeless. Town people takes that the main reason is to make sure that they don't want the referendum to be disturbed as referendum is ON in Myaung Mya.

  Bottom line is- if Military doesn't open it up for aids groups like UN to come in and help in full swing in time, the cyclone victims are going to suffer much more than they have from Nargis it self.

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  Jyan_Bon at 07:07 PM JST - 10th May

  There is only ONE INSTITUTION which comes between the suffering, dying millions in the delta and the desperately needed life saving International Relief Aid ........and that INSTITUTION is known as ....."Myanmar (Burma) Tatmadaw (Armed Forces)".

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  Athletes at 07:10 PM JST - 10th May

  Some14some

  Myanmar government has no experience or training in disaster relief efforts. Victims desperately need the expertise of Red Cross or other reputable organizations. Beside that Public servants are so corrupted in Myanmar. About 75% of supply will end up in Black market. Super rich Generals can not be trusted too. They do not care about human lives. They only care about their swiss bank accounts.

  For delivery, Myanmar is using outdated boats and manpower for distribution. Victims urgently need medical, food, tents and sewage treatment materials with Supersonic jets, Helicopters and Hoover Crafts. Not the 19th century disaster relief system.

  Myanmar Government alone can not handle the such a big disaster. Why not let other to help them? It is unwise for preventing international relief effort. Why not let US Marines, Japan Marines and European Air Force to come and help? They know how to handle the suffering of the victims.

  Myanmar is second only in the most corrupted country in the world. Not only backward in technology but also narrow minded and xenophobic. Let's put the victim lives ahead of politics and pride.

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  Jyan_Bon at 07:57 PM JST - 10th May

  Things seem peaceful in Myanmar and aid supply is in full swing"

  That is totally untrue. Aid supplies, only a trickle get through to the victims. I have pictures from Lapputta and the true situation is people are desperate for help . Fresh water, food ,medicine and shelters are almost gone.The UN can manage to flown in only 4 planes of supplies in 7 days.That is NOT FULL SWING .Empty military trucks driven pass the desperate villagers.The helicopters occational drop in only to pick up the VIP generals. No supplies for the starving victims. STILL AWAITING DESPERATELY.

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  Jyan_Bon at 08:24 PM JST - 10th May

  UN is repeatedly warning that the time is running out for the millions of cyclone victims. ONE WEEK of precious time has been wasted as the junta DO NOT UNDERSTAND the scale of relief work and the DEADLY CONSEQUENCES that will follow. The junta at the moment is concentrating on VOTING PROCESS of retifying the draft constitution, which is designed to legalize the military rule. It took the generals 15 years to write this constitution, making sure that The Military is in FIRM CONTROL, legally, in country's politics.

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  Sarge at 08:49 PM JST - 10th May

  Jyan Bon - I am truly sorry about what has been and is now happening in your country. I am at a loss for words.

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  Jyan_Bon at 10:11 PM JST - 10th May

  Sarge: THANK YOU

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  smithinjapan at 10:25 PM JST - 10th May

  Jyan: Are you in Myanmar (Burma) now? I'm not criticizing you at all, just curious as to how you can have so much internet access in a disaster zone, and bother coming to a site called Japan Today with so much suffering around.

  Your comments are somewhat moving, and I think most people stand behind you and believe what you are saying to be the truth (it certainly appears the military is completely out of control, and clearly they are using the aid as political leverage and for their own means). I feel for you, and I most certainly feel for the people of Myanmar/Burma, and I hope this crisis can be resolved and something done to better the overall situation of the country as a whole (including in particular the government).

  Good luck to you and yours.

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  longtalllm at 01:12 AM JST - 11th May

  Jyan Bon, the whole world is watching this. The whole world sees these "heroes" for what they are. The whole world wants to help. We're all hoping that things reach some breaking point that will allow foreign aid and aid workers to flow into the country.

  Off-topic: Remember when this forum used to allow users to rate other users' posts? Removing that feature (and the facility to report inappropriate, etc. posts) means that certain people can throw out flame bait indiscriminately. I hope the people who run this site will reinstate those features, and worry less about fluff like "Gravatars."

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  illsayit at 08:28 AM JST - 11th May

  Jyan Bon, You say you are in Myanmar, and you obviously have a computor, and the time to write.....so what are YOU doing to help? Lots of people in other countries don't have a computor you know.

  Undoubtedly the situation is grievious, a cyclone has hit. If we cant survive locally, then you need to work that out.

  I feel the leader's roots run deep, perhaps there is issues, but I would guess the issues are the same as everywhere else, and they are starting at home, even in your home.

  In order to get aid to a area, there is a need to know that area, for which the general's name is acceptable.

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