_ by Tai Samyone 

As we reach the point of three weeks after the devastation of Cyclone Nargis, the international NGOs and aid agencies are only now gaining limited access to the delta area that was so badly affected¹.

Yet the SPDC regime continues its pathetic propaganda stating that the immediate relief effort is completed and that reconstruction can begin. Of course, some reconstruction can begin, if only to actually reach those affected by Nargis who have so far received nothing, and to properly assess what their needs are and what the international community and the government of Burma can do together to rebuild the lives of the 2.4 million people affected by the ravages of Cyclone Nargis.

Yet we read that the regime, far from being concerned with tackling the situation as a humanitarian disaster has started to evict survivors from their tented camps and is forcing them into hard labour to build roads, rebuild their own homes (with 20 bamboo poles and some tarpaulin) and get back to work. That is what the regime means by reconstruction.

It is the continuing uncaring cruel and greedy regime that is pushing the survivors of Nargis as fast as they can; they want to keep as much as possible of the aid money for themselves, to get the delta back into food production (so that they can keep the food aid and sell it to the people of Burma, or over the border) and to disperse potentially large groups of people assembling to prevent riot against the ineptitude, inefficiency and brutality of the regime (no wonder the regime refer to it as a case of ‘stability’). Never mind the food aid, the people can eat frogs (if they can catch them) instead of free high energy biscuits. In any case, good quality food is to be kept back for the regime and their goons in the Tatmadaw, the USDA and various other para-military thugs.

So where will USD11billion go? Than Shwe and his cronies seem only too pleased to state their financial requirements (no foreigners or foreign construction companies allowed) and take the money. If only the international community were so stupid, they could get away with it; but I suspect that most donor nations will want to see where their money is going and how it is being spent.

The regime will want to spend the money, not just on their own retirement funds, but on actual construction projects; new roads and bridges to make it easy to get the Tatmadaw out to the delta to deal with protests and put down rebellion, and easier for the Tatmadaw to escape any future cyclones (leaving the people to cope as best they can by themselves), and to apply harsher direct control in the area; new military camps and facilities to defend the country against foreign invaders trying to destroy the nation (or is that trying to deliver humanitarian aid in a more efficient and caring manner than the regime ever could?). The regime has priorities that focus on their own needs and not on those of the people of the delta who have lost everything.

The regime may consider reconstruction as a process of redistributing land in their own favour; the people of the delta can re-establish a viable agricultural landscape and the regime will then appropriate it for leasing to fee-paying farm magnates from neighbouring countries only too glad to have good land, low paid workers and an advantageous tax system.

Getting access to the delta for UN teams will enable the humanitarian relief operation to continue as long as it is necessary to establish the extent of the damage and impact of the cyclone on people’s lives - and not as long as Than Shwe dictates it shall take to give a false impression of an efficiency that is non-existent. Access will also allow the UN teams to assess what reconstruction can be funded under UN and donor country funding - real reconstruction that will benefit the people of the delta and bring back a sense of community; homes and civil buildings that will provide at least some protection against future cyclone activity, assistance with re-establishing the farming communities and methods of food production, communication with centres of population, schools and hospitals that are presently virtually non-existent and a route to future development in which the people of the delta can rebuild lives and livelihoods.

Whether the UN and the international community can achieve these aims in the face of an apathetic, uncaring and self-serving regime remains to be seen.

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Note:

1. I refer to the ‘delta’ as this has been the area most affected by Cyclone Nargis, but really I am referring to all areas badly affected by the cyclone.