Cyclone wreaks havoc in Myanmar

Several regions in Myanmar have been declared disaster zones after a tropical cyclone, with winds of up to 190kmph, destroyed hundreds of houses and knocked out electricity.

At least 240 people have been officially confirmed dead since Cyclone Nargis hit Yangon, the commercial capital, at about 5am local time (22:00 GMT) on Saturday.

Yangon, Irrawaddy Delta, Bago as well as Karen and Mon states were all heavily damaged.

The military-run Myawady television station said on Sunday that an emergency had been declared in the five states.

State television showed pictures of Ten Sin, the prime minister, convening an emergency meeting of the military government.

Widespread damage

There were reports of extensive damage around the country.

Witnesses in Yangon said that hundreds of houses had their roofs blown off and the storm cut electricity as well as phone services in much of the city.

Residents ventured out on Sunday to buy construction materials to repair their homes.
The Irrawaddy Delta has been the province
worst hit by Cyclone Nargis [Al Jazeera]
The worst hit area was the Irrawaddy Delta.

Villagers said half the buildings in many towns were damaged or destroyed.

Tens of thousands of people were made homeless in the Irrawaddy Delta last August after unusually heavy rains triggered floods in the low-lying region.

Some people interviewed said that the government had done little so far to help with the clean-up.

a UN official in Yangon, who requested anonymity, told the Associated Press news agency: "It's a bad situation. Almost all the houses are smashed. People are in a terrible situation.

"All the roads are blocked. There is no water. There is no electricity."

'Very uncertain'

Speaking on the situation in Myanmar from Bangkok, the Thai capital, Tony Craig, of the World Food Programme, told Al Jazeera: "The situation now is very uncertain [regarding] the exact extent of the calamity, but obviously this is a severe event.

"If you are in a state where the food situation or malnutrition is a problem and you [receive] a shock to your security, obviously that will be a problem.

In Video

Cyclone batters Myanmar's main city, Yangon

"We are prepared to act in these situations - we have put our global response capability on standby."


The storm was initially forecast to move northeast towards Thailand, which warned that flash floods could hit the north, centre and east of the country.

An official at Yangon International Airport said on Saturday that all incoming flights had been diverted to the second city of Mandalay, and all departures from Yangon had been cancelled.

An official at Thai Airways in Bangkok said the airline planned to resume flights on Sunday.

New constitution

The cyclone comes at a delicate time for Myanmar, which is scheduled to hold a referendum on May 10 on the country's military-backed draft constitution.

A military-managed national convention was held intermittently for 14 years to lay down guidelines for the country's new constitution.

The ruling generals' handpicked delegates included those representing workers.

The new constitution is supposed to be followed in 2010 by a general election.

Both votes are elements of a "roadmap to democracy" drawn up by the generals, who have been in power for two decades.

'350 dead' as Myanmar cyclone wreaks havoc

Around 350 people were feared dead Sunday after a tropical cyclone slammed into Myanmar, devastating swathes of the southeast Asian country. Images of the destruction showed flooding, ripped off roofs, uprooted trees and downed power lines as the ruling military junta declared a state of emergency.

'350 dead' as Myanmar cyclone wreaks havoc video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9puX2usu5V4&NR=1

Cyclone hits Rangoon

A tropical cyclone has hit the Irrawaddy Delta region of Burma. Reports from Rangoon say there's extensive damage there; trees and powerlines are down, and the roofs torn off a number of buildings.

But details so far have been limited because telephone and internet connections to Burma have been badly disrupted. And there's no news at all yet of damage elsewhere.

Three people are reported to have been killed in the early stages of the storm but there are no details of further casualties.

State TV and radio stations have been off air in Rangoon, but viewers elsewhere in Burma say the government has declared a state of emergency in five places.

Security Council notes myanmar’s announcement on may referendum, elections in 2010;

President Bush Celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

In Burma, the brutal military regime continues to reject the clear will of the Burmese people to live under leaders of their own choosing. So over the past eight months, my administration has tightened sanctions on the regime. We've imposed visa bans on the junta's generals and their families and their cronies, trying to send a clear message -- and we hope the rest of the world follows as well. Today I've issued a new executive order that instructs the Treasury Department to freeze the assets of Burmese state-owned companies that are major sources of funds that prop up the junta. These companies, in industries such as gems and timber, exploit the labor of the downtrodden Burmese people, but enrich only the generals.

And today I'm sending yet another clear message, that we expect there to be change and we expect these generals to honor the will of the people.

We're are also working to address the humanitarian crisis in Burma. The U.S. has resettled tens of thousands of Burmese refugees in the last few years, and this year we expect to admit as many as 18,000 more. Last December, I signed legislation to ease restrictions that have prevented ethnic minorities involved in the struggle against the Burmese regime from entering the United States. And I applaud the Asian Americans who have helped these refugees get settled once they come to the United States of America. It's got to be hard to come here not knowing the language. It's got to be hard to come here as a stranger. And I thank those of you and those around the country who have opened up their arms and said, welcome to America; how can we help you settle in? I urge others, especially those who share the customs of these newest Asian Americans, to help them feel at home here in their adopted country.

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Monk U Kawvida dies at 81

Monk U Kawvida dies at 81
Sayadaw Bhaddanta Kawvidabhivamsa, 81, chairperson of the International Burmese Monks Association, died of a heart attack on Tuesday at the Coney Island Hospital in New York.


U Kawvida, who was widely known as Masoeyein Sayadaw, became a monk when he was 19.

He was the abbot of Masoeyein monastery in Mandalay when he was jailed for three years by the SLORC government for his leading role in Burmese monks' ex-communication boycott of government members in 1990 after the elections.

U Kawvida was chairperson of the Sasana Moli, also known as the International Burmese Monks’ Assocation, which was established after the September 2007 monk-led protests to raise international awareness about Burma’s sitution and lobby foreign governments for assistance.

Monk U Sandawbatha, who was U Kawvida's aide, said he passed away on Tuesday at 1.07pm.

"Sayadaw collapsed and lost consciousness while he was resting in his monastery after his early morning meal on Tuesday,” he said.

“He was immediately sent to Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn but they said his brain had already stopped working."

U Kawvida's funeral will be held on Monday.

1990 representative given 3-year jail term

1990 representative given 3-year jail term
A 1990 people's parliament representative who was arrested on 28 April was sentenced to three years and three months in prison by Depayin township court two days later.


U Win Myint Aung, from Sagaing division’s Depayin township, was charged with distributing obscene materials, according to Daw Khin Than of Monywa township NLD’s organising committee.

"U Win Myint Aung was arrested by authorities on 28 April and was sentenced to three years and three months’ imprisonment on the 30th by the township court under article 292(a) of the penal code and article 32(b) of the video act," she said.

Win Myint Aung's co-workers in Depayin claim he has been imprisoned for his political activities.

BURMESE EMBASSY STATEMENT

NLD STATEMENT

NLD STATEMENT