Referendum Must Take Second Place Now in Regime Priorities

The Irrawaddy News - Editorial

The response by the Burmese regime to this weekend’s cyclone disaster shows that the junta is incapable of running the country, let alone helping the victims.

Three million people are thought to have suffered in one way or another from cyclone Nargis as it ripped through Rangoon, the Irrawaddy delta and southern Burma, destroying homes, sinking boats, knocking down power lines, uprooting trees and shutting down Rangoon airport.

The death toll stands officially at more than 350, but the actual figure is thought to be higher.

The junta declared five disaster zones on Sunday—Rangoon, Irrawaddy and Pegu divisions as well as Karen and Mon states.

As the country reeled under the force of the cyclone, the regime issued a statement saying its pet project, the constitutional referendum, would be held as planned this coming Saturday. Monday’s issue of the official government newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar, carried the statement, together with an attack on last Friday’s pronouncement by the UN Security Council urging a free and fair referendum.

The government was “much surprised” by the UN statement, the newspaper said.

The referendum would be held as planned, the newspaper said, “and the entire people of the country are eagerly looking forward to that," it said.

Eagerly looking forward to the opportunity to participate in a sham election? Right now, the Burmese people are eagerly looking forward to emergency aid—clean water, food, medicines and other supplies. According to UN officials, the water supply is unfit to drink in the aftermath of the destruction, raising fears of water-borne diseases.

It is really sad to see how ineffectively Than Shwe’s regime is responding to this devastating crisis. The Burmese people are painfully aware that they can expect little help from an uncaring military regime.

State-run television tries to present a caring image, with footage of troops working to clear streets blocked by fallen trees. Yet Rangoon residents are telling
The Irrawaddy that official assistance is minimal.

Some reports from the devastated country speak of looting and even rioting, as prices of food and other essentials soar. Shock and anger are the prevailing mood of the people.

Belatedly, the junta formed a national central committee for natural disasters, with Prime Minister Gen Thein Sein as chairman, to coordinate relief and aid efforts. Although UN agencies and other international bodies stand ready to help, no call for aid has come from the regime, which is pathologically suspicious of international non-governmental organizations.

The media is also being kept out of the disaster zones, making it difficult to obtain a clear picture of the true extent of the disaster. News of national disasters is normally underplayed or covered up by the regime press, radio and TV.

It is vitally important for the regime to allow international aid agencies to operate in disaster zones, as well as free access to the international media.

The cyclone also changed the political landscape in Burma by probably persuading even more people to vote against the regime’s draft constitution in the coming referendum, despite the climate of fear and intimidation created by the junta’s “Vote Yes” campaign.
The regime’s totally inadequate response to the needs of the battered country will undoubtedly encourage undecided voters to reject the draft constitution.

The referendum should be postponed and the government’s efforts devoted totally to helping the cyclone victims. If they are unable to make this decision, Than Shwe and the other junta leaders should step down—the Burmese people are waiting eagerly for that to happen.