JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Nyein_Chan's past comments

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  Nyein_ChanMay. 10, 2008 - 02:58AM JST

  A well-orchestrated U.S military campaign of intimidation (if not invasion) is well on its way. Washington Post reports that “Three or four [war]ships began a five-day journey to a location off Burma to be available to offer aid.” (Amy Kazmin, Colum Lynch and Howard Schneider, Burma Seizes U.N. Food Deliveries, Washington Post, Friday, May 9, 2008; 9:41 AM) The media has released a news report that says – true or untrue matters less later like the Saddam Hussein’s attempts to buy uranium – that Burmese military impounded UN relief aid. The media has been feeding the public in the past four days that the Burmese military government has refused to accept the humanitarian assistance in order to establish a good reason of war (casus belli).

  U.S (along with France) has hinted a possibly legitimate reason to send their armed forces into Burmese territory: the “responsibility to protect.”

  A natural disaster that causes tens of thousands of deaths, if not a hundred thousand, and that threatens a million or more, will by and large rally the shallow public opinion in support of military campaigns.

  Of course, the well-orchestrated U.S military campaign was intended to intimidate (if not invade) Burma.

  Are the U.S warships, aircrafts and helicopters going to start a fight immediately? NOT necessarily. They are there just to encourage the population to rise up against the Burmese military government like a people’s power revolution and to discourage the soldiers from shooting in the crackdown.

  Why is the timing? The cyclone devastation can establish a good reason of war (casus belli) and the constitutional referendum is the last chance (some wrongly assume) to overthrow the Burmese military government.

  Posted in: U.N. halts aid to Myanmar after junta seizes supplies

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  Nyein_ChanMay. 08, 2008 - 11:09AM JST

  Helping Burma and Getting Visa

  Some INGOs are requesting that the Burmese government waive the visa (completely) for their staff. This is not going to happen.

  The following is what can be done to expedite the process without scrapping it all together.

  First, the Burmese Embassies around the world will make the visa application of the INGO staff the first priority. Keep the consulate open even for the holidays and weekends. (The delay caused by the holiday closure of Burmese Embassy in Thailand in occasion of a Thai Holiday should and would not be repeated.)

  Second, the INGOs should screen their own staff, and have their staff signed the customary pledge form. Their mission into Burma is relief and humanitarian assistance for the Cyclone victims, not for political purposes and not for referendum monitoring.

  Thirdly, since some INGOs are better than others in getting their staff disengaged from politics in Burma, the visa application for the staff of the INGOs with better track records should take less time and, if possible, be done within a single day.

  I hope that although the visa application process of INGOs staff cannot be waived, it could be expedited. (Except for those in Thailand, INGO staff cannot leave the home base in one day anyway.)

  If the visa application process take only one day, and some INGOs still insist on visa waiver – right before the referendum on May 10 – some might begin to wonder why those INGOs are insisting on visa waiver.

  The ongoing problem is NOT that the international aid teams “are bogged down by a bureaucracy still reluctant to open its borders to foreigners.” The Burmese Embassies around the world are willing to expedite the visa process (within a day) but the INGOs didn’t screen their aid workers. Some journalists, political activists and referendum monitors MAY be camouflaging as aid workers.

  So both sides must do their for the sake of Burmese people. INGO should screen the aid workers they are going to send into the country. Burmese Embassies should make visa decisions with their full capacity within one day.

  Posted in: Deaths may top 100,000 in Myanmar cyclone: U.S. diplomat

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  Nyein_ChanMay. 07, 2008 - 01:04PM JST

  If possible, a (small) plane load of the chain saws and other machineries to cut the trees would be helpful too. If the fallen trees blocking the roads are removed at the current rate manually with big blades, it will take MONTHS to remove the trees, to clean up the roads and to go back to the new normal. (Imagine how long it will take, after a snow storm, to remove the snow manually with shovels.) If we cannot remove the trees blocking the roads, the new normal life cannot be returned and it is going to hinder not only the relief efforts but also the trade. REMEMBER at the end, it is the trade that will feed the twelve-million people in Yangon and Irrawaddy provinces, NOT the international humanitarian assistance. If we cannot return to the new normal – i.e. if the trade and businesses do NOT resume their normal activities – it is the most vulnerable, the urban poor, that suffer.

  Posted in: Aid arrives in Myanmar as death toll passes 22,000, but worst-hit area still cut off

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  Nyein_ChanMay. 07, 2008 - 01:03PM JST

  Don’t SPEND too much on the immediate relief assistance although it is the most visible needs which attract the international assistance most quickly. The rainy season will begin in less than one month. The population without the shelter should and must be moved out of their current temporary shelter and back into their homes WITHIN one month. I am not talking about the most-severely-hit regions. I am talking about the regions where the concerted recovery efforts can produce the most efficient outcome. They need the tin roof and some other building materials. China and/or Thailand (or other ASEAN countries) can donate the tin roof. Although I have no idea about the amount necessary, I certainly know that tin roof and building materials would be needed once we managed the immediate crisis. People will need to go back to their new normal so that they can recover from the tragedy more quickly. WE will also need the agricultural supplies and tools so that the farmers can jump start their farm work once the water subsides and the rainy season begins.

  Posted in: Aid arrives in Myanmar as death toll passes 22,000, but worst-hit area still cut off

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  Nyein_ChanMay. 07, 2008 - 01:03PM JST

  Here are some unorganized thoughts about what the INGOs can do to help alleviate the sufferings of the storm victims and how to make the relief materials to the storm-ravaged regions. Use the waterways (not land transport) to transport the relief materials to the Delta region. Why in this world did I hear repeatedly during the past few days that the relief materials cannot be delivered because of the road blocks caused by fallen trees and damaged infrastructure. Send two shiploads of clean water, food (mainly rice and salt), and temporary shelters to the most-severely-affected townships (especially Laputta and Bogalay). These two regions can be reached by ship if not by trucks. You will also need a lot of small/medium-size boats to transport the relief materials from ships to the villages. I heard that, in some townships, the population from the country side has been brought to the nearby towns. So, it is much easier to deliver the relief materials DIRECTLY to the storm victim FAMILES in those towns. Food supplies for a few days (rice and salt) should be IMMEDIATELY delivered to the outskirts of Yangon City. The urban poor do not store food. Even if they have some food, it will be gone either with the storm or after a few days of consumption. The people living in the villages on the other bank of rivers should be given the first priority. The second priority is the people living in the satellite towns such as the poor neighborhoods of Hlaing Thar Yar, Shwe Pyi Thar, Shwe Pauk Kan, Dagon Myo Thit, etc. These people live from hand to mouth and must work every day to earn their daily food. Since the storm interrupted much of the business and they cannot work for a few days, the vulnerable urban poor will run out of food in a few days. The third priority is to provide/sell the roofing materials to the other families.

  Posted in: Aid arrives in Myanmar as death toll passes 22,000, but worst-hit area still cut off

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