IRIN
MYANMAR: A journey into the heart of the cyclone-hit delta
13 June 2008


BOGALE, 13 June 2008 (IRIN) - A month after Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, 
access to the worst-affected Ayeyarwady Delta for foreigners, whether 
aid workers or journalists, remains a challenge. A photo-journalist 
recalls his struggle to reach the southern area of Bogale.

"On 4 June, heavy rains started in Yangon, the former capital, resulting 
in a major traffic jam as floodwaters stopped decades-old vehicles and 
forced commuters to wade through knee-deep water. At my guesthouse, I 
immediately sought information from a colleague on the situation in the 
delta area and how he had managed to get past several military 
checkpoints.

"I had a chance to visit the northern part of the delta region, the town 
of Kong Yangon. The only way to make it even to the tip of the delta was 
to blend in. So I wore my longyi, a traditional men's outfit, and headed 
off to the other side of the Yangon River to take a public bus to the 
affected areas.

"We passed several checkpoints coming out of the main city of Yangon. 
The road had a moon-like surface and was covered in the debris of 
uprooted trees and demolished houses.

"Getting around Kong Yangon was tougher than I'd imagined. It was 
crawling with soldiers clearing debris from roadsides and hanging around 
in blue tents watching medical workers conduct check-ups and provide 
first aid to cyclone survivors. Trying to be as local as possible, I and 
another 'tourist' cautiously walked to the town's port, hoping to catch 
a boat to some of the more isolated villages that had yet to receive 
help.

"We arrived in Pazumchaun, a village an hour-and-a-half away by boat. It 
was already raining hard when we arrived and the wind was blowing again. 
We talked to the village elder through an interpreter. He said it had 
all happened so fast, the villagers hadn't realised the intensity of the 
cyclone until the next day. At least 100 people died in that village 
alone, including an eight-year-old monk.

"We then travelled to the village of Kyuan Manul, home to about 1,800 
people, which had lost approximately 300 inhabitants. A timid 
13-year-old boy named Kyawthu began talking about his experience: 'It 
was dark, but I heard loud grumbling noises and the wind was very hard. 
The next thing I knew I was alone and could not find my family, I know 
they are dead,' he said."

Battle for survival

"But the people of Myanmar are resilient. Everywhere you go, people are 
busy getting back on their feet. They have no time for grieving but the 
sorrow and fatigue, as well as the lack of food, are etched into their 
faces. Soldiers are visible on the whole stretch of the main highway, 
clearing the road. But the people living in secluded areas have to do 
most of the clearing on their own, with limited access to basic 
supplies.

"The next day, we attempted to go farther south into the delta but twice 
we were asked to vacate our seats and return our tickets because the bus 
attendants feared we would be caught at military checkpoints and their 
operations would be suspended or they would be put in jail.

"Finally, after much travelling, doing our best to remain under the 
radar of the authorities, I had made it to ground zero, Bogale town, 
where Nargis had unleashed its full force.

"There I saw foreign NGOs distributing rice and other supplies. I also 
saw medical teams making their rounds to the neighbouring islands to 
conduct check-ups and bring first aid to the survivors.

"The problem remains, however, in the ability of people to rebuild their 
lives. They have lost their loved ones - and their livelihoods.

"Their fate lies not only in the government's ability to repair whatever 
damage Cyclone Nargis has brought them, but in how prepared they will be 
when another cyclone wreaks its destruction."


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