Burma

08 May 2008 -- The U.N. Children's Fund estimates one-third of all those killed by Cyclone Nargis in Burma are children. Burmese authorities report more than 22,000 people lost their lives and more than 40,000 are still missing.

The U.N. Children's Fund says in any disaster, children suffer the most. And, the disaster, which hit Burma a few days ago, is no exception.

Deputy Director of UNICEF's Office of Emergency Programs, Pierrette Vu Thi, says children are most at risk from getting sick. During a disaster, she says children are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.    » read more »

After Devastation of Cyclone, Resolution Asks that Roadblocks to Aid be Lifted, Evaluation of Aid Strategy

May 8, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC - The Senate has passed a resolution introduced by Senator John Kerry and a bipartisan group of 19 Senators urging humanitarian aid to the Burmese people following the devastation of the cyclone and accompanying tidal wave.

Cyclone Nargis, Burma: Photo by Mohd Nor Azmil Abdul Rahman (CC)    » read more »

7 May 2008 -- The senior U.S. diplomat in Burma said Wednesday the death toll from the cyclone that hit the southeast Asian country late last week could exceed 100,000. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meawnhile says the United States is trying to mobilize countries in the region to press the Burmese government to admit more aid workers and supplies.

Typhoon Nargis prior to making landfall in Burma: NASA photo

The top U.S. diplomat in Burma says the situation in the stricken areas of the country is sounding more and more horrendous as reports of damage and casualties trickle in. She says when the final death toll emerges, there could be well over 100,000 fatalities.    » read more »

5/5/2008 -- The cyclone that hit Burma over the weekend is one of the worst natural disasters since the Asian tsunami of 2004. It appears that many thousands have been killed and countless others are missing or otherwise hurt by the cyclone. My heart goes out to the victims of this horrible natural disaster and I hope the United States and the international community will respond to the needs of the Burmese people, who have suffered so much over the years.

Burma cyclone, May 2008: Photo by Mohd Nor Azmil Abdul Rahman (CC)    » read more »

Leader of Burma’s Democratic Movement; Feinstein-McConnell bill has bipartisan support of 73 other senators

February 13, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) today introduced a measure to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Burma’s democratic movement and Nobel Peace Laureate. The bill has the bipartisan support of 73 other senators.    » read more »

February 5, 2008 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced financial sanctions against family members of regime leaders and key additional individuals and businesses that are part of the financial network of Tay Za, a Burmese business tycoon and arms dealer with close ties to Burma's military junta.    » read more »

09 January 2008 -- The World Food Program is renewing its calls for donations to help feed the millions it says are suffering malnutrition in Burma, or Myanmar as it is also known. WFP officials say the military government's rigid control of the transportation system and the cost of moving goods are major causes of the problem.    » read more »

December 18, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – A bipartisan group of 48 Senators, lead by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and John McCain (R-AZ), today, asked the President to support an international arms embargo against Burma. In a letter to the White House, the Senators urged the President to press the UN Security Council to impose sanctions and to continue to support the efforts of thousands of Burmese citizens fighting for democratic change.    » read more »

14 December 2007 -- The World Health Organization has confirmed Burma's first human case of bird flu.

Based on information provided by the Burmese Ministry of Health, the WHO identified the victim as a seven-year-old girl from eastern Shan State.

Officials say she developed symptoms of the disease last month in an area where there had been an outbreak of the H5N1 virus in poultry. The girl survived the disease.

Seven countries in East Asia have reported human cases of the potentially deadly H5N1 virus. The two with the greatest number of cases are Indonesia and Vietnam.    » read more »

24 November 2007 -- Officials in Burma say a new outbreak of bird flu has been detected among chickens in an eastern district near the Chinese border.

The state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper said Saturday that the outbreak was found at a farm in Kentung township in eastern Shan state on November 18, after a farmer reported an unusual number of deaths in his chickens.

Officials culled an unknown number of birds at the farm.    » read more »

November 16, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. - Today, the Senate unanimously adopted a resolution by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) encouraging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to take action to ensure a peaceful transition to democracy in Burma.    » read more »

14 November 2007 -- Canada says it will tighten its existing sanctions against Burma because of the crackdown on pro-democracy activists by the country's military rulers.

Announcing the action Wednesday, Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier said there is no more room for compromise with what he called the "odious regime" in Burma.

The new sanctions include a ban on Canadian investment, trade and transfer of technical data to Burma.

The measures are seen as largely symbolic since total trade between Canada and Burma sank to $9 million last year.

Source: VOA News

Importing Countries Should Ban Burmese Rubies and Jade

New York, November 12, 2007 – China, Thailand, the United States, and other countries should completely block the purchase of gems from Burma that help finance military abuses there, Human Rights Watch said today. The group issued its call for targeted sanctions on Burma’s gem business ahead of the opening of a major gem auction in Rangoon this week.    » read more »

08 November 2007 -- A leading human rights activist under house arrest in Pakistan says emergency rule may turn her country into the "next Burma."

Asma Jahangir, head of the Human Rights Committee of Pakistan, told VOA in an interview she fears President Pervez Musharraf's crackdown on his opponents may force dissidents to give up and result in the country becoming a dictatorship.    » read more »

October 30, 2007 -- Washington, DC — Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) introduced the Burma Democracy Promotion Act to promote the restoration of civilian, democratic rule to the troubled state of Burma. Today’s legislation will help create the right conditions for the peaceful, negotiated transfer of power from the generals who have ruled Burma for almost two decades to a newly-constituted civilian, democratic government.    » read more »