Myanmar Victims May Be Getting Rotten Food

U.S. Shipments Continue As The Official Death Toll Rises To 34,273; U.N. Estimate Is Much Higher

(AP)  Many cyclone victims are getting spoiled food from Myanmar's junta instead of the high-quality supplies being delivered by foreign governments and charities, victims and aid workers said Tuesday.

A longtime foreign resident of Myanmar's biggest city, Yangon, told The Associated Press in Bangkok by telephone that angry government officials have complained to him about the military misappropriating aid.

He said the officials told him that quantities of the high-energy biscuits rushed in on the World Food Program's first flights were sent to a military warehouse.

They were exchanged by what the officials said were "tasteless and low-quality" biscuits produced by the Industry Ministry to be handed out to cyclone victims, the foreign resident said.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because identifying himself could jeopardize his safety.

He said it was not known if the high quality food was being sold on the black market or consumed by the military.

A government spokesman did not immediately respond to an e-mailed query from the AP seeking a comment. The allegations were impossible to confirm independently because of the massive restrictions imposed by the junta on journalists.

The military - which has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1962 - has taken control of most aid sent by other countries including the United States, which made its first aid delivery Monday and sent in another cargo plane Tuesday with 19,900 pounds of blankets, water and mosquito netting. A third flight was to take in a 24,750-pound load. U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Douglas Powell said that the situation remained fluid, but that flights were expected to continue after Tuesday - which appears to broaden the original agreement for three flights on Monday and Tuesday.

State television said the death toll had gone up by 2,335 to 34,273, and the number of missing stood at 27,838 after many of those listed as missing were accounted for.

The United Nations says the actual death toll could be between 62,000 and 100,000.

State television said navy commander in chief Rear Adm. Soe Thein told Adm. Timothy J. Keating, commander of the U.S. Pacific Forces, that basic needs of the storm victims are being fulfilled and that "skillful humanitarian workers are not necessary."

The U.N. said that the World Food Program is getting in 20 percent of the food needed because of bottlenecks, logistics problems and government-imposed restrictions.

CARE Australia's country director in Myanmar, Brian Agland, said members of his local staff brought back some of the rotting rice that's being distributed in the devastated Irawaddy Delta.

"I have a small sample in my pocket, and it's some of the poorest quality rice we've seen," he said. "It's affected by salt water and it's very old."

It's unclear whether the rice, which is dark gray in color and consists of very small grains, is coming from the government or from mills in the area or warehouses hit by the cyclone.

"Certainly, we are concerned that (poor quality rice) is being distributed," Agland said by telephone from Yangon. "The level of nutrition is very low."

Many survivors also said they were either not getting any aid or were being handed rotten, moldy rice.

"There is obviously still a lot of frustration that this aid effort hasn't picked up pace" 10 days after the cyclone hit, said Richard Horsey, the spokesman for the U.N. humanitarian operation in Bangkok, the capital of neighboring Thailand.

Still, the WFP said it had not heard of its supplies disappearing.

"We've had no reports whatsoever about any incidents of this kind," Marcus Prior, a WFP spokesman, said in Bangkok.

Cyclone Nargis devastated the delta on May 2-3, leaving about 62,000 people dead or missing according to the government count. The U.N. has suggested the death toll is likely to be more than 100,000.

With their homes washed away and large tracts of land under water, some 2 million survivors, mostly poor rice farmers, are living in abject misery, facing disease and starvation.

The survivors are packed into Buddhist monasteries or camping in the open, drinking water contaminated by fecal matter, with dead bodies and animal carcasses floating around. Food and medicine are scarce.

The foreign resident also said several businessmen have been told to give the government cash donations of no less than $1,800 each to aid cyclone victims.

Companies involved have included jade mining concerns in Hpakant, restaurants and construction companies in Yangon, he said.

The government has also barred nearly all foreigners experienced in managing such catastrophes from going to the delta west of Yangon, and is expelling those who have managed to go in.

Jean-Sebastien Matte, an emergency coordinator with Doctors Without Borders, said his foreign staff have repeatedly been forced to return to Yangon from the delta.

Armed police checkpoints were set up outside Yangon on the roads to the delta, and all foreigners were being sent back by policemen who took down their names and passport numbers.

"No foreigners allowed," a policeman said Tuesday after waving a car back.

Yangon was pounded by heavy rain Monday and more downpours were expected throughout the week, further hindering aid deliveries.

For many, the rainwater was the only source of clean drinking water.

European Union nations appealed to Myanmar's military leaders Tuesday to let in international aid to cyclone victims, saying that failing to do so could amount to a crime against humanity.

"At this moment the most important objective is to get the humanitarian aid inside the country. There are many people that are suffering and therefore to help them ... we have to use all the means to help those people," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told reporters ahead of special EU talks meant to coordinate aid efforts for Myanmar.

[trenticus-2009]

I feel sorry for some of these poster''s that seem to know it all while they sit in their dark room and get p*i*s*s*e*d off at the politics and call everyone else a liberal, neocon, etc... GET THE *** OVER YOURSELVES and step into the light of day! I hate BUSH and his administration but does that make me a bad person? Nope just a sane and intelligent individual that knows when he is getting phucked! That''s it, I am pulling up my pants and going home!

[trenticus-2009]

European Union nations appealed to Myanmar''s military leaders Tuesday to let in international aid to cyclone victims, saying that failing to do so could amount to a crime against humanity.

Here we go!!! Time to invade these mo-fo''s.. At least thats what I am used to....

[trenticus-2009]

Again I say screw ''em and not help. Anything the U.S. or the world does will be tarnished by this Phucked up Regime. All Propaganda.

[sistatee-2009]

Let''s see....the Junta has guns, and the masses are unarmed. Who''s going to get the good food? I wonder.

[pfd572]

We now have to horrific natural disaster occurring in two different countries with despotic governments. Yet one, China, has been able to mobilize and assist the victims of the earthquake in a timely manner, so there is absolutely nothing Burmese officials can say that will excuse their response to the cyclone affected areas. I see this country in a long, drawn out civil war after it recovers a bit.

CBS_Oliver wrote:

"OK. How many companies have been fined for hiring illegal immigrants during the Bush administration?

You ever noticed that your credit report requires your SS and other information as well?

You ever wonder why the IRS collects taxes from two people with your - or somebody elses name - but never lets you know?

So let''''s talk about conservatives. What exactly are they conserving?

They are not conserving your job or Christian values or much else other than the profits of large businesses - businesses that in many cases doesn''''t even report their profits in the US - but in some caribbean island instead.

And you want to invade Burma!

You''''ve got to be kidding!"

Great points.

[junogoose]

obamawhama and corey2444 ...two lib-bashers with completely conflicting ideologies. It''s really quite fascinating.

Can''t we accuse them of having WMD''s and invade them?

Isn''t that the way things are done?

[obamawhama]

what happened in Myramar is a natural occurance..what is happening after this disaster is a direct result of a liberal organization (THE UNITED NATIONS) incompetence using LIBERAL STYLE of diplomacy to remove OR at least TAME this regime. Monks and civilians were killed right in front of thier liberal faces BUT COWARDICE had prevailed amongst these liberals...FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND THIS and ACCEPT THIS and TO BLAME THIS on everybody else IS THE REASON WHY THESE POOR PEOPLE ARE CONDEMEND TO MORE ATROCITY..its time for these liberal organizations and aid groups to step down...and deal with this once and for all..with MILITARY TACTICS.

[obamawhama]

Not ignorant at all. I agree with most of all you say, but Bush dances around like he is a Catholic so for the love or mankind he needs to do something and he needs to do more. Don''''t preach to me, I voted from him and on the right for 40 years. But enough is enough, he needs to go in and take out that Gov, end of story.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by realhdvideo at 06:34 PM : May 13, 2008
+ report abuse


*****************

oh come on..that would give you and your liberal buddies another reason to call the bush administration a facist and the marines that would do it ..baby killers.

[dobbershome]

shocking news!

[trillion1]

Sadly there is little we can do. Like N. Korea the military always comes first. The people are a nesscary inconvience.

[realhdvideo]

We can march right in to the Iraq, start controlling and changing the middle east because of WMD%u2019s that were never found. But we can%u2019t march into Myanmar to help people who can%u2019t get our aid. I will never understand how US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice can say %u201Cthe United States had no plans for a forced intervention in Myanmar to provide aid to cyclone victims%u201D. She must have some little bell that has to go off in her head until it is something serious enough for her to react? This has nothing to do with the left or the right, it has to do with what is right in the eyes of God, so I hope they do something, but their record says otherwise.

[realhdvideo]

To criticize Bush and Rice for what the junta in Burma is doing is ignorant.
Posted by ourtomorrows

Not ignorant at all. I agree with most of all you say, but Bush dances around like he is a Catholic so for the love or mankind he needs to do something and he needs to do more. Don''t preach to me, I voted from him and on the right for 40 years. But enough is enough, he needs to go in and take out that Gov, end of story.

[ourtomorrows]

you might consider the food to be rotten, you spoiled americans so in love with the big mac sandwich, but the poor eat it every day.

you have no moral standing to accuse the myanmar government of stockpiling food when your own government hoards petroleum while gas prices are artificially driven into the hypersphere.

do something about your own government.

Posted by cpaide at 02:18 PM

Well this is clearly an enlightened opinion. The US has a strategic oil reserve so that if the US where hit by a major earthquake, tidal wave or hurricane we would have sufficient oil to survive. That is somewhat different than taking foreign aid your government is not paying for and placing in wharehouses while your own people starve to death. Americans and big macs have little to do with a military dictatorship that is refusing to aid its own people. This is a massive disaster, why shouldn''t the victims be entitled to the aid that is being freely given by the world community?

[ourtomorrows]

This is out of control and America needs to do something for the sake of mankind. I can%u2019t believe that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said %u201Cthe United States had no plans for a forced intervention in Myanmar to provide aid to cyclone victims%u201D. She is a total *** and she will get her karma for this one. Bush needs to get off his lazy a** and do something for the good of all mankind. Just because this is not political does not mean it is not wrong in the eyes of God. This is a crime when a Gov won%u2019t allow help into the country and it is allowing all their people to suffer and die.This is a million times worse then Katrina.

Posted by realhdvideo at 04:49 PM

You know, these kinds of reactions fascinate me. If the President and Secretary of State didn''t have to worry about the whining left in this country and the weak-willed leadership of the European Union, there might just be American and British troops on the ground. But then that would be just the Big Bad US interfering again. Do you know how much this administration has done to aid Africa? More dollars have flowed into Africa under this President than other any other administration in American history. American response to this cyclone has been swift, but given the situation in the world, America can''t act unilaterally, remember, that is bad. Either America is interventionist or it is not, you can''t have it both ways. To criticize Bush and Rice for what the junta in Burma is doing is ignorant.

[realhdvideo]

not the presidents fault

Posted by jamesm12341

OF COURSE NOT HE IS TOO BUSY HAVING LUNCH WITH HIS OIL BUDDIES TO CARE.

[realhdvideo]

Posted by ourtomorrows

Brilliantly said.

[ourtomorrows]

Such a horrible situation in Burma under a government that should be partially set aside by the international community so that aid can get to these people. Of course there should be an armed movement into Darfur as well. But, heaven forbid we violate anyone''s sovereignty to save a few tens of thousands of people, that would just be the bad old Americans (and probably the British) being evil and imperialistic. Just let thousands more die so that the international community and the liberals in this country can cling to their outmoded pacifism. Were you to total the number of deaths that can be attributed to inaction compared to those who die in actions meant to improve things, inaction and pacifism kill millions more. But why worry about that, at least the "peace" is maintained right?

[pvperson]

corey2444 says:

"The poor eat rotten food every day."

"I use to be an astronaut for NASA. I saw aliens, I swear."

"I blame Bush and Rice for the cyclone?"

"Nobody likes me"?

"I drink a lot."