Junta faces 'Tipping Point' from anger over Cyclone

by Larry Jagan

Wednesday, 07 May 2008 20:54

Although aid supplies are trickling into Burma and clean-up work has begun, many people in the country's commercial centre, Rangoon, are beginning to vent their anger at the junta's failure to respond quickly to the devastating impact of the cyclone. Some commentators believe this may be the tipping point that finally leads to the toppling of the military junta. "Where were they [the military] when we needed them most – to clear up the mess on the streets, provide accommodation and water, and protect us when the storm struck?" a Burmese middle-aged house-wife told Mizzima, on condition of anonymity. Many people in Rangoon feel the same, according to diplomats and journalists based in the former capital, contacted by Mizzima. "It's the monks who have led the clean-up," said an elderly retired civil servant. "God bless them." Pictures of soldiers removing fallen trees and clearing roads in Rangoon on the state-run television has further infuriated many in the city. "This is pure propaganda – and it's far from the truth," e-mailed a Burmese journalist who did not want to be identified for fear of the consequences. "Why do foreign broadcasters show them, too? Broadcasting Burma government propaganda is a disgrace to journalism." A 50-year-old professional worker said, "I saw some soldiers getting onto a truck yesterday. They may have helped to clear the debris, but they had no sweat on their shirts, despite what was shown on TV!" He added: "My wife saw three truckloads of soldiers parked in front of a fallen tree. None of them got down to remove it." At present this widespread anger at the regime is simmering, at least in Rangoon, according to diplomats based there. For the moment most of the city's residents are too shocked to do anything other than try to survive and protect their families. On the outskirts of the city, across the river in the poorer working-class areas, virtually all the flimsily built houses have been flattened. Every one in Rangoon is frantically searching for clean water – and finding none, according to eye-witnesses. With the death toll mounting, and likely to rise further as contact is made with the worst-hit areas in the heavily populated Irrawaddy delta to the east of Rangoon, the people of Burma are reeling. This raises further questions about the military's failure to act quickly and its reluctance to allow UN personnel in to help distribute the much-needed supplies and equipment that is already being sent by international aid organisations. To make matters worse, there are growing fears of food shortages and mounting frustration at the increased costs. Cooking oil almost doubled in price overnight. The price of eggs, an important source of protein for many poor Burmese, has doubled. Chicken and pork have more than tripled in price in the past four days, while petrol prices have doubled. The cost of tin sheeting, needed to repair most roofs, has also doubled and one nail now costs the equivalent of 10 cents. "These price hikes are crippling," said a Burmese economist who did not want to be identified. "People are soon going to be reduced to begging. If the government doesn't begin to act quickly, the current frustration will soon boil over into anger and more street protests are almost certain to follow." Said a student activist: "In Rangoon, people feel they have lost everything and have nothing else to lose." A repeat of last September's mass anti-price protests is increasingly likely. "The military have shown their true colours, and have shown no concern for the plight of the people," said Win Min, an independent Burmese academic based in Chiang Mai. "This could easily be the final nail in the military's coffin. It is no longer a matter of if but when." < Prev   Next >