Mizzima News

New Delhi (Mizzima) – The Amnesty International on Tuesday urged international donors, meeting in Bangkok this week, to pressurize Burma’s military junta to put a halt to harassment of activists helping survivors of Cyclone Nargis and ensure that sufficient aid reaches the affected.

Benjamin Zawacki, AI’s Southeast Asia Researcher, told Mizzima on Tuesday that Burmese authorities continue to intimidate activists, who are helping survivors of the deadly cyclone, which lashed the country’s Irrawaddy delta in May 2008, leaving more than 140,000 dead and missing.

He said international donors will be holding a meeting of the Tripartite Core Group (TCG), a group formed to spearhead relief and rehabilitation in Burma’s Cyclone devastated delta region, on November 25 in Bangkok to discuss the ongoing post-Nargis relief situation.

“We are urging the donors to apply pressure on the regime to stop arresting political activists involved in Cyclone Nargis relief efforts,” Zawacki said.

The TCG was formed with the United Nations, Burmese government representatives, and representatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and is chaired by Burmese former Deputy Foreign Minister Kyaw Thu.

In October, Burmese military authorities arrested at least 10 political activists and journalists for accepting relief donations from abroad, according to AI’s press release on Tuesday.

“All of them are members of the Shining Star Group [Lin Let Kyae] and were undertaking programmes in Myanmar [Burma] devoted to relief and social activities,” Zawacki said.

The ten arrested political activists were among at least 41 dissidents detained last month as part of a broader crackdown by the Burmese regime and their whereabouts and the charges against them are still unknown, the AI said.

The AI also called on the donor community to continue providing humanitarian assistance to meet the critical needs of survivors.

“More than 18 months after the cyclone, survivors still require critical support from the international community,” said Zawacki.

Extra funding is still required to build new houses, cyclone shelters, for livelihood programmes, water, sanitation and education facilities, and health services for the people in delta areas, AI said.

“[Burmese] authorities are denying Nargis survivors the assistance that they desperately need and have the right to receive,” Zawacki said.

The TCG is set to hold a Post-Nargis Assistance Conference (PONAC) in Bangkok to raise $103 million to address the critical needs of the people in cyclone affected areas.