Democratic Voice of Burma |
- A sight for sore eyes
- Burmese Muslims reject ‘morally repugnant’ Al-Qaeda
- Village near Bagan evacuated as Irrawaddy floods
| Posted: 06 Sep 2014 12:09 AM PDT Burma is home to tens of thousands of cataract sufferers. The condition is the most common cause of blindness in the world, yet a simple surgery can restore sight in most cases. In a country where crippling poverty pushes medical services out of reach, eight percent of people in rural areas are blind. For two-thirds of those, the cause is cataracts, or a clouding of the eye's lens.Burma has only 200 working ophthalmologists, most of whom operate in Rangoon and Mandalay. That has left Burma with a backlog of 600,000 cataract operations, according to Australian NGO the Razco Eye Foundation. Now, a team of Chinese doctors is in Rangoon to restore sight to some of those people. The team is part of an initiative organised by the China Foundation for Peace and Development in cooperation with Myanmar Alinyaung. Together, since 2011, they have worked to restore sight to thousands of visually impaired people in Burma. The medical team is from China's southern Yunnan Province and is currently conducting free eye operations in Rangoon. One patient, 71-year-old Htay Kyi, was overjoyed at having her vision returned to her. "I was blind but now I can see. I am so grateful to this organisation and to my country," she said. The Myanmar Alinyaung foundation is overseen by Burma's ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). After replacing Than Shwe's military junta as Burma's government in 2010, the party has consistently produced budgets by which military spending dwarfs funds for health. In 2014, the USDP spent just 3.38 percent of Burma's budget on health. That is compared to 29 percent splurged on the military. But now, some within the ruling party say they believe that clearing cataracts could improve the party's image in the lead up to next year's general election. “I think that this programme could help our party achieve victory in one way or another, although this is not our main objective here,” said Dr Nay Lin, who is both the head of Myanmar Alinyaung and a USDP parliamentary representative for Rangoon. Whatever the motivation, this latest initiative, which began on Thursday and will run until 7 September, is a blessing for each of the 200 patients who will receive treatment. Burmese doctors will also be trained to perform cataract surgeries across the country. They hope to enable as many people as possible to see their loved ones again. |
| Burmese Muslims reject ‘morally repugnant’ Al-Qaeda Posted: 05 Sep 2014 11:23 PM PDT The Burmese Muslim Association (BMA) has vehemently condemned a statement by Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri in which he announced an intention to launch an active cell in the Indian subcontinent and Burma. "Burmese Muslim Association vehemently condemns the statement of the Al-Qaeda leader who threatened Burma in his latest video," the group said in a statement on 5 September. "The marginalised minority Muslims in Burma will never accept any help from a terrorist organisation, which is in principle a disgrace and morally repugnant." The BMA also lashed out at the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, saying its "inhumane actions are totally contrary to Islamic beliefs and teachings." In a 55-minute video on Wednesday, Egyptian cleric Zawahiri announced Al-Qaeda's intention of launching of a new cell called “Qaedat al-Jihad”, which would be active in Burma and the Indian subcontinent with the aim of expanding jihad to the region. Zawahiri tops the most wanted terrorist list in the US, with a US$25 million bounty for his apprehension. The BMA immediately disassociated themselves from Zawahiri's comments and said they rejected terrorism. Related Stories"Muslims are fully integrated into the fabric of Burmese society and belong and support the Burmese nation," BMA said. "The Burmese Muslims will not tolerate any threat to their motherland. The Muslims in Burma have proved their loyalty to the country throughout the history of Burma with exceptional bravery and with tremendous courage." Calling for peaceful coexistence and human rights in Burma, the London-based Muslim organisation also noted its concern at the "silence" of religious organisations and political parties in Burma while Muslims in the country face "ethnic cleansing". It called on the Burmese government to stop supporting extremist Buddhist organisations that are promoting anti-Muslim hatred. Meanwhile, Burmese newspaper Daily Eleven cited an anonymous official at the President's Office in Naypyidaw stating that Burma, or Myanmar, is cooperating with other governments in the region and around the globe to prevent terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda through an early warning system and the sharing of information on the group’s activities. |
| Village near Bagan evacuated as Irrawaddy floods Posted: 05 Sep 2014 09:58 PM PDT A village near the ancient site of Bagan in central Burma has been evacuated due to flooding after the Irrawaddy River burst its banks. Local authorities said that 1,066 people from 265 households were evacuated, along with 342 cows and five horses, from the village of Sae Lan in Nyaung-U district on 3 September. "We began relocating villagers as soon as the river began overflowing," said Nyaung-U administrator Tin Htoo Maung. "Some people insisted on staying to protect their homes. But after the water reached thigh level, we made sure that everyone was moved out." Sae Lan is an island on the Irrawaddy, located 35km downstream from Pakokku, and only a few miles north of the bend in the river where the ancient kingdom of Bagan [formerly Pagan] and its thousand-year-old Buddhist temples are situated. Tin Htoo Maung said that the evacuated villagers have been given shelter in a monastery in nearby Taung Be, where local philanthropists have arrived to offer supplies. "There is a government clinic at the monastery, and various groups and individuals have come forward with donations, including food," said Ko Min Naing, a representative of a Bagan civil society group. As of Friday, water levels had dropped below danger level, and hopes were high that the villagers could be sent home in the coming days. |
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