The Irrawaddy Magazine |
- Ethnic Parties Split in Two on Four-Month-Old Appointment to Six-Party Talks
- Diarrhea ‘Rife’ in Parts of Irrawaddy Division
- Parami Pizza Dishes up a Fresh Slice in Bahan
- Local Short ‘The Glass Man’ Honored at US Film Festival
- Photo Exhibit Closes Early Amid Fears that Content ‘Too Sensitive’
- 2 Armed Men Attack Military-Owned Bank in Shan State
- ‘We Among the Democratic Forces Should Have Unity’
- Bangladeshi Opposition Leader Says Party Will Retaliate If Election Is Rigged
- Indonesia Gives 72-Hour Execution Notice to Drug Traffickers
- Desperate Nepalese Sleep in Open, Seek Help as Aftershocks Spread Fear
| Ethnic Parties Split in Two on Four-Month-Old Appointment to Six-Party Talks Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:58 AM PDT  Dr. Aye Maung, at the six-party talks on Apr. 10. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters) RANGOON — An ethnic political party alliance has revealed a split in its ranks in the wake of this month's six-party talks, releasing a statement announcing that the ethnic lawmaker who attended the summit between government, opposition and military leaders did not have a mandate to represent them. A statement released last week by the Nationalities Brotherhood Federation (NBF) said that Dr. Aye Maung, the former leader of the Arakan National Party (ANP) who attended the Apr. 10 summit on behalf of ethnic parliamentarians, did not have the confidence of all of its 21 constituent parties. The ANP is also one of 10 members of the NBF with representation in the Union Parliament. Aye Maung was selected as ethnic representative for the talks in a first-past-the-post secret ballot last November, winning five of the 14 votes on offer. "We released the statement because we want to make it clear that he was chosen by the parliament, not by us, because many people including ethnic leaders asked whether he got our mandate," said Saw Than Myint, the NBF's spokesperson. He added that Aye Maung's presence at the talks did not represent the interests of all ethnic minorities in Burma. Other members of the NBF who took part in last November's ballot have not publicly disclosed their vote, earning the ire of the federation, which believes that member parties lacking parliamentary representation should have had input into the selection of an ethnic representative for the talks. "We have no idea what members of which NBF member parties joined the voting," said Saw Than Myint. "They haven't reported it to us… At the time we didn't even know the fact that the parliament was going to select an ethnic representative for the talks." Aye Maung was not available for comment on Monday. Asked how the NBF would have responded if the alliance was consulted before the vote, Saw Than Myint said they were neither for nor against either Aye Maung's appointment or the talks, but did not expect the roundtable to accomplish anything substantive. "They couldn't have significant effect on constitutional change," he said. "We are more interested in all-inclusive political dialogue to make the federal system happen through peace talks." The post Ethnic Parties Split in Two on Four-Month-Old Appointment to Six-Party Talks appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Diarrhea ‘Rife’ in Parts of Irrawaddy Division Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:16 AM PDT  A motorcycle drives past the Pathein People's Hospital in Irrawaddy Division. (Photo: Salai Thant Zin / The Irrawaddy) PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Division — At least three townships in Irrawaddy Division have been hit this month by an outbreak of diarrhea that is being blamed on contaminated drinking water. Residents of Pathein, Kangyidaunt and Ngapudaw townships have been affected. Pathein has reportedly borne the brunt of the outbreak, with at least four urban wards and four village-tracts hard hit. "Diarrhea is rife in Pathein's urban wards," said a volunteer from a social organization in Pathein, the division's capital city. "We are short of water in the summer and we have to use water from any source available, and the diarrhea is mainly due to drinking dirty water, because [people] do not boil and chlorinate the water before drinking." More than 300 diarrhea patients have received medical treatment at People's Hospital in Pathein since April 1, and over 270 have been discharged after recovering. At present, 54 people are receiving treatment at the hospital, its medical superintendent Dr. Tin Maung Nyunt told The Irrawaddy. "We are giving free medical treatment to 54 patients. They are from different places like Pathein, Ngwe Saung, Kangyidaunt and Ngapudaw. It is not an epidemic and none of the patients is [critically ill]," said the medical superintendent. Pathein District, which all three townships fall within, began seeing a trickle of patients complaining of diarrhea since the end of February, but the number of such admissions rose significantly in April. The Pathein Division Health Department is providing medical treatment in the field while undertaking educative programs, said an official from the department. "For the time being, we are making field trips to villages to provide medical treatment, chlorinating wells and lakes, and educating people," he said. Social organizations in Pathein are getting behind the department's efforts, with plans to also hold public health talks in urban wards. "We'll also distribute water purification tablets and mineral salts for free. We'll launch the educative talks at No. 4 Ward tomorrow [Tuesday]," said Maung Maung Shwe, executive of the Mitta Yeik social organization in Pathein. The Health Ministry has called for precautionary measures to lessen the likelihood of diarrhea, including boiling water or using water purification tablets if it is intended for drinking; practicing a diligent hand-washing regimen; avoiding consumption of flyblown foods; and immediate admission to hospital if symptoms are shown. The post Diarrhea 'Rife' in Parts of Irrawaddy Division appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Parami Pizza Dishes up a Fresh Slice in Bahan Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:09 AM PDT  Chef de Cuisine Francesco Costa at Parami Pizza's new location on Friday night. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — For more than two years, the folks behind the hospitality consortium 57Below have set a seemingly impossible standard for restaurant bars in Burma's largest city. In the eastern blocks of downtown, Union and Gekko have been elevated to the status of institutions, with their tasteful renovations of heritage buildings and ever-evolving menus drawing even Rangoon's pre-reform expat cohorts away in droves from the stuffier happy hour atmosphere of the hotel bars. Parami Pizza, the group's third venture, was always a riskier proposition. Of all western cuisine, pizza is probably still the only one to have risen in quality from a surfeit of competitors, and notwithstanding the embassy and UN sets living and working north of Hledan, the Mayangone location's client base was always going to be limited by the 6pm traffic on Pyay Road. Against expectations, Parami has made such a meal of it that last weekend saw the opening of a second location, smack in the middle of what might affectionately be called the Warsaw end of Bahan's Shwegonedaing Road. The new pizzeria is straight out of the 57Below playbook, with marble-top tables and leather seating set against maroon feature walls, jars of fermenting olives sitting on the kitchen counter, a wine list to weep over and the angry howls of rival restaurateurs piercing the still night air from a distance. Hosting a gala tasting on Thursday and Friday nights—another 57Below standard for the benefit of anyone with enough heft in the expat pecking order to inveigle an invite—Chef de Cuisine Francesco Costa and his charges showcased a range of indulgent fare before the official start of trade. Eschewing pizza for stuffed artichoke hearts and panna cotta, Costa's team demonstrated its remarkable versatility, without succumbing to the standard temptation of dreaming up a menu as big as a phone book to match their repertoire. Such is the reputation of 57Below, to pay tribute to the new location is an exercise in redundancy: it rises to the same standards, at the same reasonable cost, with the same flawlessly attentive service as their other ventures. Its suite of Italian entrees is the most satisfying in the city—save perhaps Inya Lake's time-honored L'Opera—and no-one without a debilitating lactose intolerance could conceivably leave the premises unsated. That a few dishes from last weekend's showcase have regrettably not found their way onto the menu is a shame, but it is hard to imagine that 57Below's relentless gentrification machine will allow an unrealized idea to lie dormant for long. Parami 2 is located on the ground floor of Shwe Gone Plaza, across the road from The Lab. The post Parami Pizza Dishes up a Fresh Slice in Bahan appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Local Short ‘The Glass Man’ Honored at US Film Festival Posted: 27 Apr 2015 02:44 AM PDT  Director Wera Aung is pictured at the Asean International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA) in Malaysia earlier this month. (Photo: Facebook / Wera Aung) RANGOON — A Burmese documentary about a young disabled man in Burma has been recognized as a Best Short Honorable Mention at the Asians on Film Festival, held in Los Angeles from April 23-29. "The Glass Man" tells the story of 20-year-old Kaung Htet, a man suffering from severe osteoporosis, a medical condition in which the bones become brittle and prone to fractures. When viewers meet Kaung Htet, he stands at just three feet and nine inches tall, and he has broken bones about 40 times (his frailty the inspiration for the documentary's title) since birth. As a child, Kaung Htet often shied away from the public and suffered from depression due to his condition. "The Glass Man" tells the story of his transformation into a confident and caring advocate for people with disabilities after being sent to the School for Disabled Children in Rangoon, Burma's business hub and former capital. Kaung Htet today volunteers as a teacher at the alma mater that changed his life, providing physical and mental support to others with disabilities. He is also involved in various activities advocating for the rights of the disabled. "Kaung Htet is a strong, unrelenting person," said Wera Aung, the film's director. The documentary was made in 2013 and has screened in several countries including Japan, where it also received an award for best documentary. The post Local Short 'The Glass Man' Honored at US Film Festival appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Photo Exhibit Closes Early Amid Fears that Content ‘Too Sensitive’ Posted: 27 Apr 2015 02:37 AM PDT  A photograph featured in the exhibition "Documenting Burma's Long March," which closed on Sunday in Rangoon. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) RANGOON — An exhibition of photographs documenting recent student protests was prematurely shuttered after the building owner expressed concern that the material was too politically sensitive. The show, titled "Documenting Burma's Long March," featured the work of five local photographers who followed student activists on a 300-plus mile education reform march that came to a violent end last month. Originally set to be open at Rangoon's Thing Art Gallery from April 25 to 27, doors were closed on Sunday after police visits triggered "worry" among the building's management, according to one of the featured photographers, who was also a key organizer. "The owner of the building said he doesn't want to be associated with politics, and he worried about the exhibition so he asked us to stop it," said JPaing, a photojournalist working for The Irrawaddy. He said that on the opening day of the exhibition, a police officer came to the gallery and asked an attendant to move two images depicting police brutality to poorly lit corners where they would be difficult to see. The offending images were taken during the violent dispersal of two protests; one in Rangoon and one in Letpadan, Pegu Division. Images of the latter incident flooded the media in the days that followed, revealing what appeared to be excessive and indiscriminate violence used by authorities against students, onlookers, monks and journalists alike. The manager of Think Gallery, Aye Sang, told The Irrawaddy that the building is owned by his older brother, who asked him to halt the exhibition once he realized that it had been widely publicized. About 400 visitors came to view the show's 37 images over the first two days. "This hasn't happened with other shows," Aye Sang said, "but this is a sensitive issue so all of my relatives were worried and asked us to stop." Aye Sang said that he was not pressured by authorities, but decided to terminate the show to allay his family's concerns, though the gallery was visited several times by men he believed to be Special Branch officers. While Aye Sang did not wish to elaborate on the visits, he told The Irrawaddy that the men asked him many questions and he supplied them with satisfactory answers. Images featured in the show were shot by The Irrawaddy photojournalists JPaing, Sai Zaw, Hein Htet and Teza Hlaing, and one photojournalist from The People's Age weekly journal, La Min Tun. The photos capture the highs and lows of a protest that at turns featured jubilant chanting and tense confrontations with local authorities, right up through the brutal crackdown in Letpadan, Pegu Division, that effectively sent the movement underground. Student activists on Jan. 20 began their march from Mandalay to Rangoon, but the protest came up against a police blockade in Letpadan in early March, with authorities refusing to allow them to proceed to the commercial capital. The standoff ended violently on March 10, when baton-wielding police dispersed the students and detained more than 120 people. Seventy students remain in police custody facing trial, and 11 of their supporters are also facing charges but have been released on bail. The post Photo Exhibit Closes Early Amid Fears that Content 'Too Sensitive' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| 2 Armed Men Attack Military-Owned Bank in Shan State Posted: 26 Apr 2015 11:01 PM PDT  A window shattered by armed attackers at the Muse branch of Myawaddy Bank. (Photo: Myawaddy Newspaper / Facebook) RANGOON — A Burmese military-owned bank in eastern Burma was targeted by armed attackers over the weekend, according to the military's information department. Two armed men of unidentified affiliation attacked a branch of Myawaddy Bank in Muse, on the border with China in the northern part of Shan State, at around 3:30 am on Saturday. No injuries or casualties were reported, though the building's glass façade and some counters were shattered. The report did not specify any further damages or theft. The information department cited locals who claimed that armed insurgents recently threatened banks for protection money, speculating that the attack could have been in response for Myawaddy's refusal to meet their demands. Myawaddy Bank is operated by the Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings, Ltd., one of two major conglomerates run by the Ministry of Defense. The military also owns Myanmar Economic Corporation. Both firms are included on the US Treasury Department's Specially Designated Nationals list. According to the Central Bank of Myanmar, Myawaddy Bank operates 30 branches nationwide. The post 2 Armed Men Attack Military-Owned Bank in Shan State appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| ‘We Among the Democratic Forces Should Have Unity’ Posted: 26 Apr 2015 11:00 PM PDT  Aung Moe Zaw, chairman of the Democratic Party for a New Society, says leading members of the formerly exiled party are barred from contesting the 2015 elections due to Article 120 of the Constitution. (Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy) Formed in 1988 following the nationwide pro-democracy uprising, the Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS) spent over two decades in political exile after being outlawed by Burma's military regime in 1991. It was officially re-registered as a political party with the Union Election Commission in October 2014 but some leading members remain barred from contesting the 2015 elections under a constitutional clause. The party's chair Aung Moe Zaw spoke to The Irrawaddy on his efforts to reregister the party, its activities within the last five months and his views on the current political landscape. What were the main challenges you faced after returning from exile after 23 years? The challenges were both political and financial. In terms of political challenges, I have not seen unity among the democratic forces. Before we returned, we hoped to join hands together. In exile, it was clear our stance was either black or white. But here it is grey. We are not able to implement the [political] platform we intended. We still think the democratic movement must continue as our country isn't a full democracy and we are not even yet on a genuine democratic transition. We think there should be a centre, where all the political parties and civil society groups can coalesce. We re-registered our party as we want to be a good pressure mechanism in the reform period. But we have our allies, such as the SNLD [the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy] and the United Nationalities Alliance [UNA], which we collaborate with. Does the DPNS still have the political space to operate inside the country, alongside and against other parties? Yes, we definitely have [the space]. The question is how much we can do. In terms of the political space, we have a continuous alliance with the UNA, which has a policy to collaborate with us on matters of national reconciliation and building federalism. In the upcoming election, at least we have a space where we can raise our voice. As I said, we have faced political difficulties, as well as financial and legal difficulties and so forth. We returned home after the incumbent government opened the door and invited us [and others in exile] to come back. But they [the government] control everything; the rules and regulations and financially. We have to work in a tight situation. We have been back in the country for over two years, but we only became an official political party five months ago. Have you seen any difference in terms of public interest in your party, which was quite well-known in the 1990s? Honestly, many people are not aware of our party. Our supporters are those in their forties who have been in the political movement. Many young people, especially, rarely know of us, so we have to struggle [to regain popularity]. How long do you think it will take for the party to regain its standing? We must try at least for the next 10 years. We can do it as now there is the political need. At the moment, we are still pushing for democracy. When the country's transition is stable, we would only need four or five good political parties for our country. So we have a chance to fill that space. In addition to the lack of unity among the democratic forces, as you said, what are the other obstacles for political parties? We reregistered the party under two conditions. First, we held discussions with the Myanmar Peace Center on six occasions before we returned to the country. We were told they [the government] would acknowledge our party and to reregister under the current laws. We accepted that and we made our decision to return. Then we tried registering, since two years ago. The first challenge we faced was that we were told to remove seven of our executive members from the party's leadership [who were on a government blacklist at the time]. It was sorted out after several months. We also faced objections from our former members when we registered the party. But they now have their own party. I don't know yet whether our two parties could merge in the future. Will DPNS be able to contest the upcoming election if Article 120 of the Constitution—that requires prospective parliamentary candidates to have resided in the country for at least 10 consecutive years prior to the election—is not amended? Many of our party members are eligible to enter the election, but few of our [formerly exiled] leading members. We were in exile for political reasons and we returned as the reform has started. That clause of the Constitution is the reason a few others and I will not be able to contest. We have raised the issue of how we can overcome obstacles [such as this]. We have talked to the Union Election Commission, which said it was beyond their authority, but promised to help petition the parliament for amendment of this clause. At the moment, it is not yet certain. How many candidates would you have if the Constitution was amended? In general, we think we would have 220 election candidates, but within this short period of time [before the election] we would not be able to field that many. Do you think it's a level playing field? There is no level playing field, not only in the political context, but in any field. We knew it, but we work [within it]. Therefore, I think we among the democratic forces should have unity. There is no equality for the political parties, either the opposition or the ethnic parties, in competing with the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party in terms of budget. As they are in power, they initiate regional development [projects] with the national budget. If you travel across Burma, you will see villages named as a "USDP village." We are aware of the challenges, but as we reformed the party, at least we can be in touch with the public so that we can mobilize to fight injustice. Under these conditions, how much trust do you have in the upcoming election? It is hard to say. Until now, big parties like the NLD cannot yet say whether they will contest the 2015 election. Though everyone is preparing to be ready. If this year's election does not have fraud, the democratic forces will win. The present situation is more complex than in the 1990 period. Now we have many groups, including the ethnic political parties, with which we could join hands. If the election is free and fair, there is no way for the USDP to win. Many observers are now questioning the reform process in Burma. Do you share these concerns? If changes in Burma are in accordance with the Constitution, we cannot say we are in a democracy. Amendment of the Constitution must be a part of [broader] changes. If not, questions will also remain over whether peace is genuine. Those leaders in the reform process must have the mind to go beyond the current Constitution. In order for the political reforms to move forward, it also very much depends on political parties like us, as well as civil society groups. I would urge the current leaders to hold specific talks with leaders such as the NLD's Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the ethnics' Khun Htun Oo of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy. The talks must be related to the peace process, which is another half of the country's reform. We need a national accord on how to move forward in building our country based on an all-inclusive agreement. If not, we could lose direction. The post 'We Among the Democratic Forces Should Have Unity' appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Bangladeshi Opposition Leader Says Party Will Retaliate If Election Is Rigged Posted: 26 Apr 2015 10:29 PM PDT  Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Begum Khaleda Zia at a rally in Jan. 2014. (Photo: Andrew Biraj / Reuters) DHAKA — The leader of Bangladesh’s main opposition party threatened retaliation if local elections being held this week are not conducted fairly. Bangladesh has been marred by months of violence, much of it attacks against vehicles during transport blockades organized by the opposition. More than 120 people have been killed and hundreds injured. Campaigning in the upcoming elections for Bangladesh’s two main cities, Dhaka and Chittagong, ends at midnight on Sunday, with voting on Tuesday. The elections are supposed to be nonpartisan, but both the ruling Awami League and the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party directly supported candidates. "We participated in the election as a test case to judge how far the government and the election commission are non-biased," Begum Khaleda Zia, the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and a former prime minister, said on Sunday. The BNP refused to take part in last year’s general election, saying it was rigged. Last week, Khaleda’s motorcade was attacked as she was addressing an election rally. Her own car was hit by gunshots. "It was bullet proof car, otherwise that day I could be killed," she said. "My workers and supporters are constantly facing harassment," said Tabith Awal, the BNP-supported candidate for Dhaka North City Corporation. Out of 36 candidates for councilor in North Dhaka, legal cases were brought against 11 candidates for councilor, and three candidates were arrested, Tabith told Reuters. Tabith had more than 100 volunteers and up to 300 workers when the campaign began, he said, "but now due to continuous harassment it came down to only five volunteers and sometime I don’t find any workers." Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed has refused BNP demands that she step down. Instead, she has tightened her grip by arresting key opposition leaders and clamping down on media criticism of her government. Bangladeshi politics has been mired for years in rivalry between Hasina and Khaleda. Both women are related to former national leaders and they have alternated as prime minister for most of the past two decades. Khaleda, 69, faces charges of instigating the violence, which is estimated to have cost Bangladesh the equivalent of 0.55 percent of its national output. Earlier this month, Khaleda was granted bail in two graft cases she is fighting. She denies any wrongdoing and says the charges against her and the BNP are politically motivated. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in a separate press conference on Sunday the people of Bangladesh would not respond to Khaleda any more. "None will respond to the call of Khaleda," Hasina said in an apparent reference to the BNP chief’s electioneering in favor of the BNP-blessed mayoral candidates. The post Bangladeshi Opposition Leader Says Party Will Retaliate If Election Is Rigged appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Indonesia Gives 72-Hour Execution Notice to Drug Traffickers Posted: 26 Apr 2015 10:20 PM PDT  Chintu Sukumaran, left, brother of Myuran Sukumaran, talks to reporters while standing next to Michael Chan, brother of Andrew Chan, in Cilacap, Indonesia, on April 26, 2015. (Photo: Reuters) CANBERRA, Australia — Australian leaders on Monday continued to lobby Indonesia to spare the lives of two Australians on death row despite 10 prisoners being given formal notice that they could die within days. The Australians Myuran Sukumaran, 33, and Andrew Chan, 31, are among 10 drug traffickers facing execution by an Indonesian firing squad. Authorities had asked the two Australians, the four Nigerian men, a Filipino woman, and one man each from Brazil, France and Indonesia for their last wish as well as giving them 72-hour notice of their executions, a spokesman for the Indonesian attorney general, Tony Spontana, said Sunday. He said the legal options of nine of them have been exhausted, while Frenchman Serge Atlaoui still has an outstanding legal complaint over the procedure followed in his request for clemency. Spontana said he expects the Supreme Court to rule on it Monday. The 72-hour notice indicates the executions by firing squad in Besi prison on Nusakambangan Island will be carried out at the earliest on Tuesday or Wednesday. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio on Monday that she is "profoundly dismayed" over the 72-hour notice. Bishop says she contacted her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi on Sunday night in a bid to prevent the executions. "I will continue to do everything possible to advocate for a stay of execution and a reconsideration of the clemency bid of the two men," Bishop said. "I do not believe it is too late for a change of heart." Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also written to Indonesian President Joko Widodo on their behalf. "This is not in the best interests of Indonesia, let alone the best interests of the young Australians concerned," Abbott told reporters in France. Bishop said the Australians had not yet exhausted their legal options. The pair still had an appeal before Indonesia's Constitutional Court and Indonesia's Judicial Commission was investigating claims of corruption in the pair's original trial. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Widodo on Sunday to "urgently consider declaring a moratorium on capital punishment in Indonesia, with a view toward abolition." The post Indonesia Gives 72-Hour Execution Notice to Drug Traffickers appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
| Desperate Nepalese Sleep in Open, Seek Help as Aftershocks Spread Fear Posted: 26 Apr 2015 10:01 PM PDT  A man cries as he passes by a damaged statue of Buddha in Bhaktapur, Nepal on Sunday. (Photo: Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters) KATHMANDU — Thousands of desperate Nepalese huddled under tents and sought scarce food and medical supplies on Monday, two days after a massive quake killed more than 3,200 people and overwhelmed authorities struggled to cope with the disaster. The sick and wounded lay out in the open in the capital, Kathmandu, unable to find beds in the devastated city’s hospitals. Surgeons set up an operating theatre inside a tent in the grounds of Kathmandu Medical College. “We are overwhelmed with rescue and assistance requests from all across the country,” said Deepak Panda, a member of the country’s disaster management. Across Kathmandu and beyond, exhausted families whose homes were either flattened or at risk of collapse laid mattresses out on streets and erected tents to shelter from rain. People queued for water dispensed from the back of trucks, while the few stores still open had next to nothing on their shelves. Crowds jostled for medicine at one pharmacy. High in the Himalayas, hundreds of foreign and Nepalese climbers remained trapped after a huge avalanche ripped through the Mount Everest base camp, killing 17 people in the single worst disaster to hit the world’s highest mountain. A total of 3,218 people were confirmed killed in the 7.9 magnitude quake, a police official said on Monday, the worst in Nepal since 1934 when 8,500 died. More than 6,500 were injured. Another 66 were killed across the border in India and at least another 20 in Tibet, China’s state news agency said. The toll is likely to climb as rescuers struggle to reach remote regions in the impoverished, mountainous country of 28 million people and as bodies buried under rubble are recovered. “The rescue workers are in a really bad shape. We are all about to collapse. We have worked two straight nights,” said home ministry official Laxmi Prasad Dhakal. With so many people sleeping in the open with no power or water and downpours forecast, fears mounted of major food and water shortages. Across Nepal, hundreds of villages have been left to fend for themselves. “There is no electricity, no water. Our main challenge and priority is to restore electricity and water,” Dhakal said. “The next big challenge is the supply of food. Shopkeepers are unable to go in and open their shops. So people are facing difficulty buying food.” Several countries rushed to send aid and personnel. India flew in medical supplies and members of its National Disaster Response Force. China sent a 60-strong emergency team. Pakistan’s army said it was sending four C-130 aircraft with a 30-bed hospital, search and rescue teams and relief supplies. A Pentagon spokesman said a US military aircraft with 70 personnel left the United States on Sunday and was due in Kathmandu on Monday. Australia, Britain and New Zealand said they were sending specialist urban search-and-rescue teams to Kathmandu at Nepal’s request. Britain, which believes several hundred of its nationals are in Nepal, was also delivering supplies and medics. However, there has been little sign of international assistance on the ground so far, with some aid flights prevented from landing by aftershocks that closed Kathmandu’s main airport several times on Sunday. In the Himalayas, hundreds of climbers felt tremors on Sunday powerful enough to send snow and boulders cascading towards them. Another was felt early on Monday. The huge and deadly avalanche on Saturday triggered by the earthquake caused panic at the Everest base camp, a sprawling “city” of tents from where mountaineers set off for the world’s highest peak. “It was a monstrous sound, like the demons had descended on the mountain,” Khile Sherpa, a Nepalese guide, told Reuters, recalling the moment the avalanche hit. He was one of the lucky few airlifted to the relative safety of Kathmandu but the disaster has underlined the woeful state of Nepal’s medical facilities. Nepal has only 2.1 physicians and 50 hospital beds for every 10,000 people, according to a 2011 World Health Organization report. “The earthquake has exposed that Nepal’s best public hospital infrastructure has crumbled at a time when it should serve more people in a hurry,” said Sarvendra Moongla, a senior surgeon at Bir Hospital’s Trauma Centre in Kathmandu, which opened in February. At the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, bodies, including that of a boy aged about seven, were heaped in a dark room. The stench of death was overpowering. Rajiv Biswas, Asia Pacific chief economist at business research firm IHS, said long-term reconstruction costs in Nepal using proper building standards for an earthquake zone could be more than $5 billion, or around 20 percent of the country’s GDP. “With housing construction standards in Nepal being extremely low…the impact of the earthquake has been devastating based on initial reports,” he said in an early analysis of the likely damage. In crowded Kathmandu, many buildings were flattened or badly damaged. Among the capital’s landmarks destroyed in the earthquake was the 60-meter (200-foot) Dharahara Tower, built in 1832 for the queen of Nepal. The post Desperate Nepalese Sleep in Open, Seek Help as Aftershocks Spread Fear appeared first on The Irrawaddy. |
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