Natural disasters are unavoidable and unfortunate accidents in every part of the world. Fingers point at climate change and global warming as well as new huge constructions. It will be more accurate to point a finger at the authorities for man-made tragedies as well as natural ones taken place in Burma.

The World Food Program (WFP) has correctly pointed out food shortage in central Burma attributable to excessive restrictions imposed by military junta. But this has been standard practice of the regime since they seized the state power in 1988. The aid groups including UN agencies are seen as security threat. For them security means not for national interest but potential challenge to regime’s grip on power.

The Burmese people were once proud of their richness of resources and abundance of wealth and accordingly a traditional saying can be interpreted that Burma has enough cooking oil to have a bath and heaps of paddy are like mountains. But it was true at the time before military took the power and managed the economy. The first generation of military generals led by Ne Win made the well-to-do Burma to be a Least Developed Country (LCD) in 1987. The next generation led by General Saw Maung and Than Shwe brought the country to the third last position in terms of development in the world.

The current regime opened the doors for market economy and foreign direct investment. The official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs updated that Myanmar’s development endeavors gained further momentum and in 1999-2000, the GDP grew by 10.9% and the permitted Foreign Approved Investment Value $7461.463 million as of 31-12-2002. The World Bank’s World Development Indicators as of 27^th July 2010 shows that Burma has FDI at $283 Millions.

Unfortunately a UN 2009 report, “Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission to Myanmar” said that 52 Townships in Shan State, Chin State and Kachin State are categorized as highly vulnerable in terms of food security. Devastatingly one in ten people in Burma i.e. more than 5 million go starving daily, the report said. People in need also are concentrated in Rangoon, Irrawaddy, Arakan and Chin areas. The recent WFP report mentioned that Arakan State, Chin State, Kachin State, Shan State, Magwe Division and Irrawaddy Division urgently need emergency food assistance.

The Irrawaddy delta has been regarded as the rice bowl of Southeast Asia when democracy was there. In May 2008 the Cyclone Nargis hit that area and killed 140,000 people but the military regime, at the time of most necessity, deliberately barred all international aid. Late coming foreign aid was politicized and state-run television endlessly broadcasting images of Generals handing out disaster relief as if those were their gifts.

The regime could effectively block the foreigners but at the same time the domestic aid workers were arrested and imprisoned such as a distinguished comedian Zaganar who helped the victims of cyclone. On 21^st November 2008, Zarganar was sentenced to 45 years imprisonment and on 29^th November 2008 he received an additional 14 years. On 16^th February 2009 Yangon Divisional Court reduced the prison sentence by up to 24 years, bringing the sentence down to 35 years.

According to WFP assessment undertaken in June 2008 the people from northern Arakan state face malnutrition as a consequence of increase in rice price touching 75% compared to the previous year. As of 25^th June this year at least 63 people have been confirmed dead after heavy rain caused flooding and landslides in Arakan state. Relief efforts are not seen even in the newspapers.

In Chin State there are reports of food shortage as a result of rat infestation triggered by the flowering of bamboo since the early 2006. A Chin news group reported on 3^rd August 2010 that with rat infestation on the rise again, rodents are destroying crops in more than 20 villages in southern townships in Chin state.

Food crisis in Pa’an district of Karan State has been published in March 2005. Before that “Rich Periphery, Poor Center: Myanmar Rural Economy” was published in March 2004.

On 4^th Aug 2010, an NGO working there said that HIV-positive prevalence rates in areas controlled by cease-fire groups in Kachin State in Burma are more than 16 times the average for the country.

In January 2006, “Deserted Fields: The destruction of agriculture in Mong Nai Township, Shan State” was published and highlighted Wrong-headed agricultural and development policies, counter-insurgency activities, as well as corruption and cronyism by the Burmese military regime.

There is also a largely unreported humanitarian crisis in Burma due to chronic mismanagement by the military authorities. All reliable figures show that infant mortality rate is 76 per 1,000 births, under 5 undernourished is 31.8% as the obvious result of the government spending on health merely 2.8% and is among the lowest anywhere in the world.

It can be seen that central and lower Burma have natural catastrophes while ethnic areas where arm resistance is prevalent and deprived peoples are living natural disasters are coupled with man-made tragedies. However any square mile of Burma is not exempted from dictatorial control.

Tint Swe

9-8-2010