Whilst Burma awaits the impending visit of the UN secretary General, the behavior of the ruling junta continues to disappoint the international community and Burmese citizens alike. The cyclone has unfortunately exposed the inherent weaknesses of the military rulers, and this weakness is costing the Burmese people dearly. At a time when the military should be frantically mustering all available support both domestically and from the international community, it is instead wasting valuable time, and the lives of its citizens by seeking to protect its authoritarian image.

Aid continues to trickle into the delta region, although it is extremely slow and inadequate in size. In the Asian region and in Europe, talks are taking place about ways to increase aid to Burma. While these international and regional responses unfold, the military is busy on the internal front, trying to prove that it is capable of handling any crisis. The idea that any country, even one much richer and more developed than Burma, could handle a disaster of this magnitude on its own is preposterous. Any government with a genuine concern for the plight of its people would have been opening its doors long before now to foreign assistance. However, reports from inside continue to provide evidence that the junta is more focused on maintaining its image and an iron control over the citizens, than it is on helping survivors in the aftermath of the cyclone.

Whilst some 2.5 million storm affected survivors await aid in the delta, news from inside Burma confirms that in the past week the military has engaged in the following; restriction of press freedom, forced relocation of refugees, possible misappropriation of aid, selling aid to survivors, offering aid for votes in the referendum, restricting press and international aid workers access to the delta, prohibiting local volunteers and workers access to the delta regions and/or forcing them to hand over supplies to authorities so that the officials can hand the aid out.

The difference between the rhetoric of the regime and its ability to handle this crisis is stark. The SPDC’s response has been negligently inadequate, and reports from inside show that the shortfall has been taken up by community groups and especially the Sangha, who once again, have provided help and guidance to the Burmese people in a time of crisis. The monks have been active in providing shelter and food to many homeless refugees across the Irrawaddy region. Contrast the efforts of the monks, with those of township authorities who have been busy ejecting homeless people from schools and halls in order to be able to use the venues for the upcoming referendum vote on May 24.

The military is also engaged in a strong propaganda push to mislead the population over its achievements in restoring order in the Irrawaddy Division. Several reports over the past few days have highlighted the intimidation of journalists who have been barred from airing pictures of destruction or of corpses. Many have been told to only report on stories of reconstruction efforts. Freedom of the press took a severe blow yesterday with the arrests of eight journalists who were caught by the military in the Laputta region. The journalists were held over night, interrogated and had all of their photos erased. They were made to sign agreements stating that they would not return to the delta region.

In the same region, guesthouses have been ordered by authorities to render their guest registers to authorities and to report the arrival of any foreigners or people who could be associated with aid organizations.

In other developments, the authorities have taken steps to ensure that people will vote in the upcoming referendum in the Rangoon and Irrawaddy Divisions. Clamping down of freedom of movement, the authorities issued movement restrictions in those Divisions advising people that they are not allowed to leave the area until after the referendum ends. The vote is due to be held on the 23/24th of May.

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