Refugees from the storm, the lucky ones

This account of the aftermath of the cyclone in Burma by a Burmese citizen was sent to Danwei from a source in Myanmar.

I went to Bogalay for two days on 18th and 19th May.

Through the route from Yangon to Bogalay,10 army trucks at different were found at different points—2 or 3 at a time moving towards Yangon. On coming back to Yangon, groups of trucks (2 or 3 or 12 per convoy) were moving towards the Irrawaddy Delta; they didn't carry any goods like international ones. They were all found near the towns—Kyaik Latt, Phyar Pone, Maubin and Bogalay. But just outside Yangon around 7:00 pm on the 19th there were nearly 30 trucks carrying goods. Some boxes had USAID stickers.

Boxes marked "Singapore" and rice bags were found at the building of the "Myanmar Rice Merchants' Association" in Pyar Pone and at the "USDA" building in Bogalay.

There were over 500 victims at one monastry I visited and over 1200 at another monastry. They all are being supported by the monks. No goods from international aid groups were found.

The first monastery has 562 victims from 19 different villages, 18 households are from Bogalay town. 243 of them are children.

The 1,200 at the other monastery live in four different buildings. Each household has one tin of rice a day from the monks. Some live outside the buildings making their own shelters. One woman is worried about the rice supply, complaining that the abbot not only gave rice to them but also distribute to nearby villages. She said clothes are not a problem now. However, when clothes were distributed, all were very eager to get a piece or two. Not more than 20 bags of rice were found at the site of storage. The abbot apparently insisted that he would not hand the victims over to government camps, saying he would look after them as long as he had supplies.

There are said to be over 50 monasteries in the town itself; most are sheltering cyclone victims. The government is supposed to give shelters to victims who are staying at the state schools. There are two high schools and two middle schools in Bogalay. The No. 2 Middle School is now preparing to repair the rooftops; trucks are downloading corrugated iron roofs. It means all victims there were evacuated.

On the 18th, some were sent back to their own villages in boats, and two or three of them capsized in the strong wind in the evening. Some say three, some say one boat sank; over 100 are said to be killed. Nobody knows for sure. The people on board were said to have been given rice for 7 days and 20,000 kyats.

Schools have been told to receive the registration for coming academic year starting from 25th this month.

But at the top of the road leading to the No. 1 State School, a policeman was turning people away. A Hindu temple nearby is giving any one who asks three meals a day. A man taking refuge in that school said he had missed the breakfast that morning but he has previously got four tins of rice and some potatoes during the five previous days of staying at the school. Mosquito nets were donated by someone; later they were taken back by women in green and white uniforms. The man is worried about his future back in his village; he has no cattle left, no house. Food for seven days will not be enough. He is worried about his children too.

The most he is worried about is how to buy and sell things to live on if he goes back to his village. He said some people are fleeing the area to avoid being sent back to their villages.

The monasteries are said to have been ordered to make all cyclone victims leave by the end of this month. It's not confirmed yet; it's rumored.

On the 19th, civil servants, the military and the police have been busy, in full dress. Police are directing people not to take this or that road.

The one and only hospital is still crowded with injured and sick cyclone victims.

Power is supplied only till 9:00 pm each night.

Cockroaches and stray dogs are enjoying their life in the wards.

Along the roadsides from Bogalay to Phyar Pone, newly built huts constructed from coconut leaves and branches are found. A group of several people are crowded in each hut. Most are standing and waiting outside for passing cars, hoping to get some food and money. The road takes nearly two hours to drive along; lines of these people are found without interruption.