10.20.2008

Nargis Still Taking a Toll on Children in the Delta

He is sick and needs medical attention. (Photo: Charles Metzger)

Nargis Still Taking a Toll on Children in the Delta

By AUNG THET WINE

Monday, October 20, 2008

Many children in the Irrawaddy delta are still suffering from the psychological effects of Cyclone Nargis nearly six months after the disaster struck, according to local and international aid workers.

The failure to restore a sense of normalcy to the region has severely impacted on children’s ability to recover from the trauma of living through Burma’s worst recorded natural disaster, said relief workers, who observed disturbing signs that continuing neglect was causing lasting damage to children’s emotional and educational development, as well as endangering their physical health.

In some of the hardest-hit areas of the delta, children still have difficulty sleeping at night, and many react to strong wind and overcast skies with evident fear, said Burmese staff working with UNICEF. They said it was not unusual to see children crying when the weather turned stormy, reminding them of the cyclone that struck on the night of May 2-3.

“Children in cyclone-affected areas are not like normal kids,” said a volunteer relief worker involved in an education project for children in Laputta Township. “They are not so playful. They seem to be living in constant fear.”

The relief worker said that many children showed a lack of interest in their education, and some simply stared into space, completely withdrawn from their surroundings.

“The psychological trauma and fear caused by the cyclone is having a significant impact on their ability to learn,” said an official from the Bogalay Township Red Cross Association. “They feel insecure, and for that reason they can’t enjoy learning. Moreover, many are physically weak, and this is causing health problems.”

Most observers said that the key reason children haven’t been able to return to their normal lives is that they are still living in an environment that bears the scars of the disaster. They note that the military authorities have done little or nothing to improve living conditions, leaving the work of rebuilding to local or international non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

“UN agencies and local and international NGOs are doing as much as they can, but the government isn’t moving at all,” said a schoolteacher from a village primary school in Laputta. “They stopped doing anything three months after the cyclone.”

Volunteers from a Rangoon-based NGO working for childcare and development said more projects were needed to help children recover from their psychological problems, and that these projects would require cooperation between the government and NGOs.

At least at the ground level, some officials appeared to appreciate the need to do more to get children back on track.

“To help the children recover, we need more gardens and places for them to play. Above all, we should create more enjoyable spaces for them. And we need more trained teachers who understand their psychological problems,” said an official from the central government’s Basic Education Department.

But it looks like the task of actually creating such spaces will be met primarily by international NGOs such as Save the Children, which plans to construct 20 child-friendly centers in villages around Laputta Township. These centers will be stocked with games, storybooks and drawing materials, and staffed with teachers specially trained to help children overcome their lingering insecurity.

Save the Children has also officially announced that it will give monthly funding to the centers so that they can provide nutritious food to the children.

But local residents say that boosting children’s morale is not enough—that more needs to be done to meet their basic need for secure places to live and study.

“The primary schools in Laputta Township can’t give children a sense of security,” said one resident. “Their temporary learning centers are just tarpaulin walls covered with sheets of zinc. There are no chairs, so they just sit on the floors.”

According to official figures, there are now 365 primary schools in 500 villages in Laputta Township, operated jointly by the government and local communities. Most, however, are flimsy constructions built by private companies close to the ruling military regime.

“The private companies assigned for reconstruction of schools repaired some schools, but they did it superficially and minimally,” said one official from the Laputta Education Department, adding that there was also a shortage of books, stationery, teaching aids and qualified teachers.

The official said that children in cyclone-hit areas should receive free education, and that their families should receive additional assistance to help them meet their daily living expenses—a view that others working in the area shared.

“Now that the UN agencies and international NGOs are gradually stopping their food assistance programs, it will surely have a negative effect on their kids’ education,” said a 27-year-old volunteer relief worker from Rangoon. “For that reason, the assistance programs should continue until households strong bases for their livelihood.”

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To All Religious Organization

What took place in Sept.’07, when the military junta in Burma crushed the peaceful demonstrations by the Buddhist monks was unprecedented. Not only in Burma’s history, but also in the context of the cultural history of the country as well. Although monks in the past, during the colonial period of the British, and the Japanese occupation in 1942-45, were killed because of their involvement in political matters, never in the history of the Burmese people, have so many Buddhist monks been brutally killed, beaten, and shown absolute disregard by those in power who are, and call themselves Buddhist. It is a sad and dark chapter of Burma’s history indeed. Monks who were helped by leaders and prominent members of other faiths, such as, Muslem, Christian, Sikh, and Hindu, were also threatened by the military for rendering assistance to the Buddhist monks. Reports about prominent members of other faiths who are also being harassed and intimidated by the regime continually are frequent amongst the communities, within and outside the country. This atrocious situation is the reality today in Burma today. That is why the monks and the organizing committee of the Saffron Robe People’s Movement would like to urge leaders and adherents of the Buddhist faith, and all other faiths: Moslem, Christian, Hindu, and Sikh to truly see what the military regime in Burma is really like. It is a degrading and destructive military regime towards all religious faiths is without doubt a chilling and tragic fact. Therefore, members of all faiths within and outside the country, we seek your help in this struggle; to rid Burma of a military regime that has descended to the lowest of the low; for killing monks who dared to call for change for the better of the peoples of Burma. The organizing committee for the Saffron Robe People’s Movement of Burma. Dated 26 DEC.2007 For more information contact to; saffrontoward@gmail.com

PATTA -NEIKUZANA

PATTA-NEIKUZANA THE EXCOMMMUNICATIVE BOYCOTT

Any could be boycotted towards excommunication if the following eight attributes described in Vinaya Scriptures IV , page 262 , Silavar Text Commentary 5 are met: 1) Effort are made to deny four essential things _ i.e. monastery ,robes ,food , medicine –to monks 2) Effort are made to endanger the lives of monks or reduce the numbers the them 3) Effort are made to deny place of residence to monks 4) Ten kinds of abusive lanquage are used against monks 5) Effort are made to sow dissension among monks 6) Slander or scorn is made upon buddha’s infinite feat 7) Slander or scorn is made upon Dhamma’s infinite faculty 8) Slander or scorn is made upon Sangha’ s infinite undertaking “I consent to perform excommunicative boycott aganist any lay devotee who endaevors to fullfill any one above eight attributes, Budda said in Sulavar Holy Text. Boycotting does not imply placing the amls bowl upside –dwn ; it means not accepting four essential things donated by lay people who are being boycotted. The proscribing monks also advocate the boycotting act to other monks in the world .The purpose of al this is to make those lay Buddihist who offend noble and good monks realize their mistake and become well-mannered and civilized. If those lay people regret their misdeeds, really become good-mannered and respectful ,and apologize three times,boycott would be called off.

10.20.2008