BURMA: Police held drivers and their trucks carrying relief

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that police authorities in Yangon had seized dozens of vehicles used by the relief workers to deliver urgently needed food and water for cyclone victims. The local officials were also reportedly taking drastic actions upon workers to prevent them from continuing their relief effort.

CASE DETAILS:

On May 25, at least around 70 vehicles used by relief workers had been stopped and had their vehicles confiscated by traffic policemen upon reaching a bridge in Hlaingthayar Township. The vehicles were part of the group of local people distributing food, water and other goods to the affected villagers in Daydaye and Pyapon Townships, when their vehicles were seized.

When one of the private donors, who was then in the group, had asked from the policemen for explanation why they and their trucks are being held, they did not give any reasons. Instead, they told the truck drivers go proceed to the Government Technology Institute compound in Insein Township.

Although the authorities had later released the truck drivers later that midnight and that their trucks were given back afternoon of the next day, May 26, but the police had refused to return to their drivers’ licenses.

Because of the government’s inability to get themselves organized, the local people had taken their own initiatives in distributing relief good to victims by renting vehicles to carry their goods. For instance, the monks, too, who had come from other places, have had to hire vehicles to carry goods that would be distributed.

However, after the May 25 incident, drivers there are now frightened either to get involved by being hired or their vehicles used fearing they too would be held and their vehicles seized. This incident has already had tremendous consequence to groups wanting to distribute relief goods. One donor describe it has become impossible to reach the needy unless this is prevented.

The local officials there had been blaming the people delivering food and water for reasons that the humanitarian work, even by the local persons, they are doing is humiliating and obstructing the government’s operations. Some of the workers have already been reportedly charged with criminal offences though no further details on this case yet.

ADDITIONAL COMMENT:

This is not the first that government officials are deliberately taking drastic actions against the survivors of the cyclone. On May 9, the AHRC has reported the government officials also forced in pushing away survivors out from government buildings where they have sought refuge (AHRC-UAC-094-2008).

It is of extreme importance to closely monitor the Burmese government’s action in dealing with the relief workers and the distribution of relief goods. What is happening there is largely contrary to what had been reported; and pledges by the Burmese government to the international community it would do.

For instance, the seizure of vehicles used in relief work took place just two days after Senior General Than Shwe, head of Burma’s military junta, was reported to have given assurance to UN’s Ban Ki-Moon that they would allow all aid workers access regardless of their nationalities into the country.

Also, there are allegations that during Mr. Ban Ki-Moon’s visit those whom he had meet are actually persons whom the government had organized. Some of them are either not survivors nor had been affected by the cyclone. During his visit also, many affected people had come to the street begging for money to buy food to eat, but they instead threatened and pushed away by the authorities.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the concerned authorities urging them to look into this. The government should allow, as what they have already public pledged, free access to the devastated areas by relief workers. Those who are involved in delivering relief goods should not be threatened or harassed. They, too, should be given assurance that similar incident should not happen again.

For the sake of the letter, please refer to Burma as Myanmar and Rangoon as Yangon. Please also be informed that the AHRC is writing separate letters to numerous UN and international agencies encouraging their interventions.

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER