austraLasia #2149

Myanmar's Church Leaders appeal to Government to support aid workers

YANGON: 17th May 2008 -- In a letter jointly signed by the General Secretary of the Catholic Bishop's Conference of Myanmar, (Archbishop Charles Bo) and the Myanmar Council of Churches President (Archbishop Samuel Mahn San Si Htay), Myanmar's Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, Senior General Than Shwe, has been respectfully but firmly asked to 'accept and allow national and international aid workers' who are carrying out emergency relief work.
    The letter comes after a number of people who are deeply involved in the non-government organisation (including Church) relief efforts have made their own assessment of the damage to life and property and the overwhelming needs of the survivors at present. From information that has come directly to austraLasia from these sources, the figures continue to be alarming. Dead and missing are calculated conservatively at 182,000, with at least 1.6 million people affected and possibly as many as 2.5 million.
    The two Catholic diocese most affected are that of Pathein and Yangon. Observers in the field are closely watching all relief efforts including those directed by the Government. There are concerns about the way some relief effort is carried out, either through delegation to local businessmen or to family members of those in Government.  One of the difficulties faced especially by NGO's is lack of transport.
    The religious leaders, in the letter referred to, have commended government authorities for carrying out relief work for victims, but have reminded them that ' we would like to be allowed and supported by the official Government authorities as we, the Christian Churches in Myanmar, taking it as our national duty, are also doing emergency relief works without differentiation of race and religion'.
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Title: australasia 2149
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces MYM Cyclone victims
Date (year): 2008
ID: 2000-2099|2149