From the AP:
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A state-controlled newspaper said Wednesday that Myanmar’s military rulers were breaking no laws by holding pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for a sixth straight year.
The junta’s recent decision to extend Suu Kyi’s detention by one year sparked international outrage, with the Nobel Peace laureate’s party and foreign defense lawyers arguing the junta could legally only hold her for five years.
Read more here
-Lam
Filed under: Latest News | Tags: aung san suu kyi, Burma, junta, national league for democracy, politics
The Wall Street Journal reports today that the political opposition took to the streets to protest the military regime near democratic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi’s house. Suu Kyi’s house arrest was to expire this week but the junta extended it to as long as another year. An exiled spokesperson for Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy, said that about 120 party members marched towards Suu Kyi’s house that day.
“This is the time to challenge the regime,” he said. He also said they were planning more protests.
Part of the article can be read here.
-Lam
Filed under: International Response, Latest News | Tags: aid, Latest News, USA
From AFP:
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The White House said Monday it was extending an extra 13 million dollars in aid for cyclone-hit Myanmar as the first US flight of emergency supplies landed in the country.
“We are prepared to provide an additional 13 million dollars in food and logistical assistance to the United Nations World Food Program for the relief operations in Burma,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
Read the entire article here.
- Lam
Filed under: Donations, International Response, Latest News, Lessons and Theory, Resources, Uncategorized | Tags: aid, avaaz, Burma, monks, NGOs
As NGOs are having trouble getting into Myanmar, a group of Burmese monks in New York has raised more than $2 million, which will be sent directly to monasteries in disaster-stricken areas.
Avaaz.org is raising money for them (at the moment: $ 1,734,275). Visit their Web site to find out more about their support of the monks.
A video I shot over the weekend can be found here.
- Lam
Filed under: From the Field, International Response, Latest News, Media, Resources | Tags: aid, children, Latest News
UNICEF has its own television broadcast, which is regularly updated online. Find their blip.tv channel here: http://unicef.blip.tv/
- Lam
Filed under: Donations, International Response, Media | Tags: aid, internet, relief
Google put up a link onto their homepage, encouraging the search engine’s users to donate to UNICEF and Direct Relief International.
http://www.google.com/myanmarcyclone/
-Lam
Filed under: Donations, International Response, Latest News, Media | Tags: aid, elections
Packages sent in from international aid groups are finally being handed out to people in Burma – but with the names of Burmese generals scribbled on top of them. It seems that the catastrophe in Burma is being turned into an opportunity for pro-junta propaganda, writes the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
In the midst of this natural disaster, the people of Burma were to vote for a referendum that according to opposition leaders is meant to further strengthen the junta’s military rule this Saturday. The elections were postponed only in Yangon and in the Irrawaddy-Delta.
On the day of this election, television stations continuously broadcast footage of military officials handing out aid to victims of the catastrophe, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung reports. One clip shows a box on which general lieutenant Myint Swe’s name was covering up a smaller label that read “help from the kingdom of Thailand”.
Read the entire article (in German) here.
-Lam
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: Events, International Response, Latest News, Uncategorized | Tags: Burma, demonstration, Events, New York, vigils
The New York Burmese community will gather in Union Square tomorrow night.
Event: CANDLELIGHT VIGIL FOR BURMA CYCLONE VICTIMS
“LET THE AID REACH BURMA CYCLONE VICTIMS NOW!”
Host: NY Burma Roundtable, Coalition for Regime Change, Burma 88 Coalition
When: Friday, May 9 at 7 p.m.
Where: Union Square
-Lam
Filed under: International Response, Latest News, Uncategorized | Tags: aid, Burma, Latest News
BANGKOK — The first seven tons of United Nations relief supplies arrived in Myanmar by aircraft Thursday after days of excruciating delay during which the insular military junta resisted international offers of large-scale aid.
American officials said they also appeared to be close to an agreement with the government to send in aid and disaster experts, despite the acrimonious relations between the two nations and blunt recent criticisms of the junta by President Bush and his wife Laura.
Read full story here.
