Burma is forcing weak and hungry survivors of Cyclone Nargis to move back to flattened villages and in some cases refusing aid unless rebuilding work is done, Amnesty International said on Thursday.
In a report compiled from the testimony of those inside the secretive nation, Amnesty International said it had confirmed 30 cases of forced relocation and 40 cases of aid misuse, but believed the true extent of the problem could be much worse.
Amnesty’s South-East Asia researcher Benjamin Zawacki said the worst of the trouble had begun after May 20, when the ruling junta claimed the relief phase of the cyclone disaster had ended.
”[Since then] the SPDC [State Peace and Development Council, or the ruling military regime] has ordered increasing numbers of victims to return to their villages while still traumatised and with no food, shelter or other aid to help them once they return,” Zawacki told reporters. ”Government officials also have continued to block or divert aid meant for the worst-hit areas.”
Local authorities have been forcing villagers, already relocated once to dry land in townships in the north of the Irrawaddy Delta, to return to their ruined villages in the south.
In one case, they forced more than 3 000 survivors from two official camps, giving each person just 7 000 kyats (about $6) and a small portion of rice for their journey.
Some people were removed from schools being used as camps to allow class to resume.
Monastery camps were said to be closed to prevent survivors from associating with monks, who were behind protests that threatened the junta’s authority last August and September.
Amnesty has also confirmed reports of monasteries being denied aid, and said there were three reports of authorities only providing aid to victims on condition they voted ”Yes” in the postponed constitutional referendum on May 24.
”Unless human rights safeguards are observed, tens of thousands of people remain at risk,” warned Zawacki. — Sapa-AFP