c.php?c=080501YT Larry Jagan: Myanmar generals do not care about the Burmese people...therealnews myanmar cyclone junta contitution referendum death toll

Burmese state media say 38,500 people were killed by Nargis but The UN estimates the death toll in the country could be 100,000 and 41,054 are missing at burma .The cyclone knocked out electricity and telephone services on saturday 3 may 2008.
The British Red Cross has just donated £30,000 from the Disaster Fund to help support the victims of the cyclone in Burma this weekend.Thailand has already flown in some aid, India is sending two naval ships, and Bangladesh has said it will fly food and water purification tablets to Rangoon on Wednesday. Many countries have promised humanitarian assistance to Burma .Aid stocks are ready to go, but much has not yet been allowed entry .The foreign ministry said Burma was happy to accept aid, but insisted it would control the distribution itself.Aid from a number of Asian countries has been arriving in Burma.AID PLEDGES ,UK $10m ,UN $10m ,Japan $10m ,US $3m ,France $3m ,Australia $2.8m ,Help is arriving, but aid agencies say Burma does not have the expertise . But Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said the time was "now drawing very close" to "taking the most drastic step of all" of "dropping aid directly into Burma, irrespective of the wishes of the Burmese regime.Seven more Red Cross flights carrying humanitarian aid are due to arrive in Burma on Monday.Aid workers also say they are now being allowed into the country more freely, but most have been kept waiting at the Thai border .Oxfam warns the death toll could rise to 1.5 million without aid .A desperate international push to get food, water and medicine out to remote areas hard-hit by Cyclone Nargis has run into a basic bottleneck of lack of decent roads and bridges in the countryside of Burma, aid agencies said Tuesday.Two large water purification units have arrived and once up and running, they will produce over a million litres of clean water a day.

Tearfund say its relief teams have got food, water, shelter and medical supplies to 23,000 people. Christian Aid is aiming to reach 100,000 with blankets, medicines and water purification equipment.

Concern is distributing 75 tonnes of rice, as well as pulses, cooking oil, salt, sugar and tarpaulins to 6,000 survivors in the coming days.

However, there are many more people in need of assistance. The UN says that so far aid has only reached 270,000 of the estimated 1.5 million survivors.1,000 shelter boxes will be on the flight from East Midlands airport.The UN has sharply increased its estimate of those severely affected by Burma's cyclone to 2.5m people .Thai leader Samak Sundaravej flew to Rangoon for talks with Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein, but said the junta was adamant it needed no outside help .The UN's food agency fears Burma will face food shortages .Aid agencies say supplies are urgently needed in affected areas .

clip made by kumud pant

Rangon Burma,3 May 2008
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Myanmar junta failed to warn people on cyclone
"WASHINGTON (AFP) — US First Lady Laura Bush accused Myanmar's military rulers of failing to warn their citizens in time about a killer cyclone and pressed the junta to accept US aid in the disaster's wake.

"Although they were aware of the threat, Burma's state-run media failed to issue a timely warning to citizens in the storm's path," Bush said Monday in an unusual appearance at the White House briefing room podium."
Burmese Cyclone Death Toll Rising