Filed under: International Response, Interview, Media, Uncategorized | Tags: burma project, Divya, maureen aung-thwin, military junta, open society institute, uptown radio
In the most recent radio broadcast of “Uptown Radio” – Columbia Journalism School‘s radio program , host Annie Lok and reporter Michelle Stockman interviewed Maureen Aung-Thwin, a Burmese expert at Open Society Institute.
Aung-Thwin commented, among other things, on the military junta’s paranoia of letting in foreign aid workers who might be posing as journalists to expose the state of affairs inside.
Below is the introduction to the broadcast.
Intro: In the aftermath of a cyclone that killed tens of thousands of lives in Myanmar, the military government is still refusing to let foreign aid workers in to help. Host Annie Lok spoke with Maureen Aung-Thwin, the director of the Burma Project at the Open Society about the government’s isolationism.
Listen to the full interview here.
–Divya
Filed under: International Response, Interview, Latest News, Uncategorized | Tags: aid, analysis, burma cyclone, food prices, international aid, International Response, wall street journal, world food programme
The World Food Programme‘s main spokeswoman, Bettina Luescher, spoke to the Wall Street Journal about immediate needs in Myanmar. Also highlighted in the second half of the video is the impact of the global hike in food prices and how it is adding to the problems of delivering international aid in Burma.
View the full video here.
- Lam
Filed under: Latest News, Lessons and Theory, Media, Uncategorized | Tags: bangladesh, climate change, cyclone, new york times, nicholas d. kristof, nicki bennett, on the ground, sidr
American aid worker Nicki Bennett just posted from Bangladesh on Nick Kristof’s On the Ground blog on nytimes.com. She’s been doing reconstruction work in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr, which ripped through Bangladesh six months ago.
Here’s an excerpt:
<<While an earthquake measuring 6 or 7 on the Richter scale might kill tens of thousands of people in places like Kashmir (2005) or Iran (2003), a quake of the same magnitude in a place like Japan or California leads to far fewer deaths and less damage.
What’s the difference? Poverty, exclusion, inequality and bad policies.>>
She goes on to make the important point that due to climate change, floods and natural disasters of this magnitude seem likely to increase in frequency. With that in mind, Robert Kaplan had an interesting piece in the Jan/Feb ’08 Atlantic Monthly, entitled “Waterworld” about how Bangladesh is dealing with climate change.
– Karen
Filed under: International Response, Latest News, Uncategorized | Tags: Burma news, contributions, International Response, Irrawaddy, news, UK
According to a Burmese online news magazine, The Irrawaddy, foreign governments have collectively pledged more than US $ 30 million for the Burma cyclone response effort. UK tops the list, assuming monetary responsibility for one- third of the amount by pledging US $10 million.
The next pledge amount is a tie between the U.S. and the European Union at US $ 3 million. Surprisingly, Japan is way down on the list with a pledge amount of US $267,570. Of Burma’s two big neighbors – China and India – the former pledged US $500,000 in cash, plus supplies such as tents, blankets and food and India sent two naval ships containing food, tents, blankets, clothing and medicine sent to Rangoon. Two aircraft carriers with supplies are to leave for Burma on Wednesday.
See full list here.
– Divya
