Archive for June 8th, 2008
Bush impressed by China’s earthquake relief efforts
www.chinaview.cn 
2008-06-07 03:15:39
Special report: Reconstruction After Earthquake
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U.S. President George W. Bush speaks during a meeting on China earthquake relief efforts at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in Washington, DC, June 6, 2008. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan) |
WASHINGTON, June 6 (Xinhua) — U.S. President George W. Bush said here Friday he is impressed by China’s firm response to the earthquake disaster and he is happy with the progress of the relief efforts.
“There’s no question this is a major human disaster that requires a strong response from the Chinese government, which is what they’re providing,” he said during a meeting at the headquarters of American Red Cross focusing on the U.S. response to the May 12 earthquake in China’s Sichuan province.
“There will be more work that needs to be done. My message to the Chinese government is, thank you for welcoming our aid. Thank you for taking a firm response to this disaster, and just know the American people care about the people of China. When a brother and sister hurts, we care about it,” he said.
Bush also praised the U.S. nongovernmental organizations, the business sector and charities for their compassion and donations in response to the earthquake.
The meeting is hosted by the American Red Cross, Business Roundtable and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The participants, including Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Treasury Henry Paulson as well as leaders from U.S. nongovernmental organizations, the business sector and charities, were briefed by China’s ambassador to the United States Zhou Wenzhong by the latest information on the situation in Sichuan and long-term relief and reconstruction needs.
Zhou later told Xinhua that China appreciated U.S. help to the relief efforts, saying it is an example of the China-U.S. constructive and cooperative relationship.
The two countries are always helping each other in times of need, and China has donated 5 million U.S. dollars in aid to the United States when Hurricane Katrina struck southern U.S. states in 2005, he said.
Zhou said a high-level U.S. delegation headed by a deputy secretary of state will soon visit China and assess relief and reconstruction needs.
American Red Cross pledges more fund for China’s earthquake relief efforts
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U.S. President George W. Bush (C) speaks as Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Zhou Wenzhong (1st,right), U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (2nd right) and U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson (1st left) listen during a meeting on China earthquake relief efforts at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in Washington, DC, June 6, 2008. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan) |
WASHINGTON, June 6 (Xinhua) — The American Red Cross Friday pledged an additional contribution of 10 million U.S. dollars to support the China earthquake relief and recovery efforts.
Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, chairman of the American Red Cross, made the announcement at a roundtable meeting focusing on the U.S. response to China’s earthquake.
EU official praises China for handling earthquake situation
BRUSSELS, June 6 (Xinhua) — A European Union (EU) high-level official spoke highly Friday of the Chinese government for the way it has handled the earthquake situation in Sichuan Province.
“I have the utmost respect for the way the Chinese government is dealing with this difficult situation,” said EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/07/content_8323214.htm
Burma: updated top news (8 June 2008)
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 Aljazeera.net |
5 UN-chartered choppers land in Myanmar
International Herald Tribune -
Reuters, AP YANGON, Myanmar: Five UN-chartered helicopters landed in Myanmar this weekend to help with cyclone relief efforts, but many problems still hindered efforts to help victims of the May 2-3 storm.
Myanmar denies evictions from cyclone relief camps Reuters
5 more UN helicopters arrive in Myanmar The Associated Press
Monsters and Critics.com – ABS CBN News – The Oregonian – OregonLive.com – MLive.com
 Voice of America |
Burma Denies Forcing Cyclone Victims from Shelters
Voice of America -
By VOA News Burma’s military government denies forcing survivors of Cyclone Nargis out of emergency shelters and back to their devastated villages.
Burma denies forcibly relocating cyclone victims ABC Online
Burma’s junta denies moving cyclone survivors from shelters Radio Australia
Voice of America |
Aid workers report some signs of hope for Burma
CTV.ca -
“There are a number of Myanmar citizens from what I would call the diaspora in other countries and they’ve come home.
Burma Arrests Celebrity Critic Who Organized Cyclone Relief Washington Post
Burma condemns foreign media reports Radio Australia
BBC News – London Free Press – Watford Observer – Radio Australia
all 154 news articles »
 The Associated Press |
Red Cross: Myanmar dead may never be identified
The Associated Press -
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Tens of thousands of people killed in last month’s cyclone may never be identified because their bodies have decomposed so badly and many ended up far from home, an aid organization said Sunday.
Red Cross: Myanmar dead may never be identified KPLC-TV
Tens of thousands of dead from Myanmar cyclone may never be identified Malaysia Star
 TopNews |
Burma denies forcibly relocating cyclone victims
ABC Online -
… small portions of rice to return to their ruined villages. It says other storm victims were forced out of schools so that classes could resume last week.
Burma’s junta denies moving cyclone survivors from shelters Radio Australia
Burma rates foreign media ‘worst than cycline’ Bangkok Post
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Japanese medical team hand over cyclone clinic in Myanmar
Monsters and Critics.com -
Yangon – A Japanese medical team handed over a clinic and equipment to the Myanmar government Sunday after spending nine days treating more than 1300 patients in Labutta, a town in the Irrawaddy delta that was hard-hit by Cyclone Nargis.
Five UN helicopters arrive in Myanmar for cyclone aid ABS CBN News
With more access, more progress in Myanmar, says CARE worker Atlanta Journal Constitution
WZTV – Grand Haven Tribune – Aljazeera.net – International Herald Tribune
all 1,357 news articles »
Full Coverage: Burma / Myanmar (until 8 June 2008)
Full Coverage: Myanmar
From Yahoo page – http://news.yahoo.com/fc/World/Myanmar;_ylt=As0lO4S4c4NhXA7lBLtDuHRm.3QA
Myanmar denies evictions from cyclone relief camps
Reuters – Sun Jun 8, 4:37 AM ETYANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar’s military government denied on Sunday it was evicting victims of Cyclone Nargis from relief camps, saying it was working on a voluntary resettlement program more than a month after the disaster.
Off the Wires
- Myanmar denies evictions from cyclone relief camps Reuters – Sun Jun 8, 4:37 AM ET
- Myanmar tightens security but denies evicting cyclone victims AFP – Sun Jun 8, 3:46 AM ET
- Red Cross: Myanmar dead may never be identified AP – Sun Jun 8, 2:56 AM ET
- Myanmar denies evicting cyclone survivors from shelters AFP – Sun Jun 8, 12:27 AM ET
- Myanmar tourism sector reels after cyclone AP – Sat Jun 7, 11:47 PM ET
News Stories
- Rejected by junta, US aid ships sail from Burma at The London Times – Thu, Jun 05, 2008
- Burmese forced from relief camps The Christian Science Monitor via Yahoo! News – Thu, Jun 05, 2008
- Pentagon chief Gates rules out forcing aid on Myanmar at The Los Angeles Times – Mon, Jun 02, 2008
- Myanmar Aid Workers Say Delta Needs Are `Critical’ at Bloomberg.com – Fri, May 30, 2008
- Burmese Economy Is an Obstacle to Aid at The New York Times – Thu, May 29, 2008
Feature Articles
- Cyclone destroys trees in Myanmar’s main city AP via Yahoo! News – Fri, Jun 06, 2008
- In darkened Rangoon, Burmese get resourceful The Christian Science Monitor via Yahoo! News – Tue, Jun 03, 2008
- Second wave economic crisis in Myanmar at Asia Times Online – Mon, Jun 02, 2008
- Amid aid delays, locals in Burma (Myanmar) rebuild The Christian Science Monitor via Yahoo! News – Mon, Jun 02, 2008
- Myanmar monks a vital lifeline for cyclone survivors AFP via Yahoo! News – Sun, Jun 01, 2008
- Can a cyclone open the iron fist of Myanmar’s generals? at The Los Angeles Times – Fri, May 23, 2008
Opinion & Editorials
- Mulish Myanmar at Seattle Times – Sat, May 31, 2008
- Let Them Eat Frogs at The Washington Post – Fri, May 30, 2008
- In U.S., a Multitude of Forces Drains the Spirit of Giving at The Washington Post – Fri, May 23, 2008
- Burma (Myanmar) dodges a bullet The Christian Science Monitor via Yahoo! News – Wed, May 21, 2008
- Myanmar’s killing fields of neglect at Asia Times Online – Sat, May 17, 2008
- Only war would provoke intervention in Burma at The Guardian (UK). – Sat, May 17, 2008
Related Web Sites
- Nargis Help
– wiki and blog that provides links to news, relief operations, and other Cyclone Nargis-related resources. - Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs – site includes a profile of the country.
- Myanmar Information Committee – government site that includes annual ‘information sheets’ with updates on the political situation in the country.
- Daw Aung San Suu Kyi – site created to honor the Burmese resistance leader and Nobel laureate. Includes speeches and interviews, a biography, and more.
- Aung San Suu Kyi – profile of the Burmese opposition leader and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, from the BBC.
- Nobel Peace Prize: Aung San Suu Kyi – features her profile and the 1991 acceptance speech in her honor.
FEATURED VIDEO
Refusing help ABC News- The country’s repressive government deems foreign aid foreign interference.
Aid slow to Myanmar CNN- CNN’s Dan Rivers talks to WFP’s Tony Banbury who makes a plea for aid to be allowed in.
Raw video of cyclone AP- Newly released video shows the cyclone that slammed into Myanmar.
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FEATURED VIDEO
Myanmar Prime Minister dies REUTERS – Soe Win, best known for allegedly orchestrating an attack on leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has died at age 59.
Protests against Myanmar junta Reuters – Activists in Australia and the Philippines call for democracy in Myanmar.
Facing Sanctions? FOX News – Laura Bush sends stern message to Burma following anti-democracy crackdown.
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HOW TO HELP
- Network for Good: Help cyclone victims
- UNICEF:Emergency response efforts
- CARE: Food, shelter and supplies
- Global Giving: Cyclone relief projects
- Save the Children: Children in Crisis Fund
- World Vision: Sponsor a child
YAHOO! RESOURCES
- World Factbook: Burma
- Directory: Myanmar (Burma)
- Web Search: Myanmar
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BLOGS ABOUT BURMA
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KEVIN SITES IN THE HOT ZONE: MYANMAR
- The Crackdown Continues Fri Jun 30 2006
- Death Grip Mon, Thu Jul 6 2006
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Audio
- U.N. Chief Urges Myanmar to Allow Cyclone Aid : NPR at NPR – Thu, May 22, 2008
- Need for Clean, Fresh Water Urgent in Myanmar at NPR – Fri, May 16, 2008
- Photographer Feels Weight of His Myanmar Images at NPR – Fri, May 16, 2008
Video
- Survivors speak out on lack of water and shelter at The Guardian (UK). – Tue, May 06, 2008
- Video shows force of Cyclone Nargis at BBC – Tue, May 06, 2008
- Kofi Annan has appealed for release of Aung San Suu Kyi at BBC – Fri, May 26, 2006
World focus on Burma (8 June 2008)
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Myanmar tightens security but denies evicting cyclone victims
BOGALAY, Myanmar (AFP) – Myanmar has tightened security across the cyclone-ravaged Irrawaddy Delta but on Sunday denied evicting storm victims from emergency shelters and forcing them to return to ruined villages.
Myanmar tourism sector reels after cyclone
YANGON, Myanmar – When a taxi carrying two Westerners pulled up this past week at the Shwe Sin hotel at the Chaung Tha beach resort in Myanmar’s cyclone-stricken Irrawaddy delta region, cheers rang out from local residents and workers.
Bangkok Post, Thailand -
The New Light of Myanmar attributed such negative reports to foreign plots to undermine the government. It cited a recent broadcast by “certain foreign …
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Red Cross: Myanmar dead may never be identified
The Associated Press - YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Tens of thousands of people killed in last month’s cyclone may never be identified because their bodies have decomposed so badly and … |
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Asia-focused Australian PM heads to Japan and Indonesia
International Herald Tribune, France - “Natural disasters in Burma and China in recent weeks… death tolls, have reminded us of the need for regional cooperation to have practical results, … |
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Myanmar Denies Evicting Cyclone Victims From Shelters, AFP Says
Bloomberg - By Glenys Sim June 8 (Bloomberg) — Myanmar denied forcing survivors of Cyclone Nargis out of emergency shelters and back to their flattened villages, … |
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Myanmar denies evicting cyclone survivors from shelters
AFP - YANGON (AFP) — Myanmar’s junta denied on Sunday forcing survivors of Cyclone Nargis out of emergency shelters and back to their flattened villages, … |
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MERCY CORPS AND MYANMAR
The Oregonian – OregonLive.com, OR - asked Jeremy Woodrum, director of the US Campaign for Burma, referring to Mercy Corps and Chevron. “Yes.” Woodrum quickly noted that Mercy Corps isn’t at … |
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• K-College grads-to-be to provide aid in Myanmar
Kalamazoo Gazette – MLive.com, MI - Worldwide attention turned to Myanmar, formerly Burma, in May when its military junta leaders refused to accept humanitarian aid after a cyclone hit. … |
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Carr: Slaughter continues in Darfur
MetroWest Daily News, MA - While the the country and the world’s attention is rightfully focused on matters such as the US Presidential election, the tragedy in Burma/Myanmar, … |
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Only the International Court can Determine if George Bush is a War …
Political Cortex, NY - In Myanmar (Burma) the leaders who are busily building luxury dwellings for themselves have made it very difficult for relief agencies to deliver food to … |
Scotland on Sunday, UK -
By Pat Wilde A SEVERE shortage of housing has left hundreds of thousands of cyclone survivors in Burma exposed to heavy rains as the monsoon season begins. …
guardian.co.uk, UK -
‘Our coverage of the Chinese earthquake, Myanmar (Burma) tsunami and Zimbabwe have been extraordinary.’ That may be true, but for reporters, …
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Aquino, Estrada, Anwar: Evening of memories
Inquirer.net, Philippines - She once read a letter smuggled out of Burma (Myanmar) on behalf of detained Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Aquino also gave Azizah a political … |
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Cyclone aid organizer arrested in Myanmar
United Press International - … Country Director Guy Chase told the Post many victims have yet to receive any aid following the May 3 disaster in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. … |
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On Phway to change the world
Manawatu Standard, New Zealand - The Gorge is about a girl who’s working on getting over her fear, while Paypay is about Shwedagon Pagoda, a golden temple in Burma (Myanmar). … |
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Despite Rebuff, US Helicopters Stand by to Help Burma
NewsBlaze, CA - The offer of aid continues even though the US Navy ordered its ships to sail away from Burma after an earlier offer to fly aid inland to people in need was … |
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More UN support arrives in Burma
The Age, Australia - Five UN-chartered helicopters have arrived in Burma’s main city Rangoon, to boost efforts to deliver aid to victims of the cyclone that tore through the … |
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Barbecue to aid cyclone victims
London Free Press, Canada - “Everybody is really excited,” said Emily Htoo, who is from Burma, also known as Myanmar, and works with refugees originally from that country’s Karen state … |
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Storm victims face new misery
Toronto Star, Canada - … tightly controlled by the military government, which also severely restricts international media access to Burma, which the generals renamed Myanmar. … |
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Burmese refugees sent home
San Jose Mercury News, USA - LABUTTA, Burma – Within a week of the storm that flooded the delta in May with waves as high as 20 feet, the monasteries in this village were swarming with … |
News-Leader.com, MO -
Front page again in News-Leader dated May 29 are photos of weary and homeless survivors in Burma (Myanmar). Their government controlled by military won’t …
Watford Observer, UK -
Cheques for the Myanmar Cyclone Appeal can also be sent to ADRA-UK, Stanborough Park, Watford, Herts, WD25 9JZ. n Watch out for next week’s special feature …
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Myanmar or Burma? Apple’s dictionary had an opinion
CNET News, CA - o 1.02 running in Tiger) gave an interesting pronunciation for “Myanmar:” It’s pronounced “Burma.” I would tend to think this is an accident, … |
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Burma’s rulers castigate media over coverage
San Francisco Chronicle, USA - AP The US military said Friday it is keeping 22 helicopters on standby in case Burma’s ruling junta reverses its rejection of such help for cyclone victims, … |
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Cyclone Relief Reaching Burma, But UN Says It’s Not Enough
Deutsche Welle, Germany - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has sent 200 personnel to Burma, also known as Myanmar, while Japan and Germany have teams working on … |
CNN International -
… non-governmental organizations that provide food, shelter and non food items to refugees and displaced people from Myanmar, also known as Burma. …
