interviewer quotes a review, "it's like the bong takes hits from you..." haha...
it's 7:49 long so if you don't know who they are i'd recommend going to their myspace but if you know who they are and want to watch a video of them jamming then this video is fun... i sure post about this band a lot.
Friday, July 24, 2009
UPDATE - Slumdog Sikhs
-
WJKK, WJKF
The Youtube link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM1s4CJ5-pQ
Besides pls also watch other videos on achievements so far. I am also giving a link to albums on Picasa:
21st June Link: http://picasaweb.google.com/gbpksehgal/6212009?authkey=Gv1sRgCPadmcip3dTr8wE&feat=directlink
Visit to Khaddor Sahib: Link - http://picasaweb.google.com/gbpksehgal/KhadoorSahibTrip27June09?authkey=Gv1sRgCKW3rLb557nHtAE&feat=directlink
15th July meeting of appx. 22 Gurudwaras to discuss Sikh issues and an attempt to unite them http://picasaweb.google.com/gbpksehgal/HeadsVolunteersFrom20Gurudwaras?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ27s5fSjNvGugE&feat=directlink
Gurudwara Sahib
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM1s4CJ5-pQ
--k progress: 17th July 2009 http://picasaweb.google.com/gbpksehgal/20090719?authkey=Gv1sRgCLvnq87nrLWuzwE&feat=directlink - Monday, 20 July, 2009
******************************
THE OLD POST
I received this letter from IHRO today. Please read the letter and watch the video. Before going any farther, let me say I know nothing of this particular group. They seem legitimate. I do know that the conditions that our sister and brother Sikhs are living in are disgusting. I also know that we are, on the whole, a wealthy community and have the resources to alleviate these subhuman conditions.
Beyond that...idols in the Gurudwara Sahib? A lizard running across Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji? What they state at the end is absolutely true. Moist eyes will accomplish nothing. Action must be taken. I leave it to you, my dear ones to choose what action you will or won't take.
The letter:
Waheguru Jee Ka Khalsa Waheguru Jee Ki Fateh
SLUMDOG SIKHS - A DOCUMENTARY ON THE PLIGHT OF SIKHS IN DELHI
Video Link: Watch Video
A study, conducted by SHS representatives, on Sikhs living in Delhi’s Sultanpuri Area has found that nearly 100% per cent of Sikhs of the area live here in sub-human conditions.
The plight of Sikhs of the area is presented through this documentary. Kindly visit the link below. Your suggestions are welcome. For any details contact info@sikhbusinesspages.com
Also Visit us at : Sikhs Helping Sikhs
We need volunteers to work on this project, so please come forward and help these Sikhs. Till now we have got a committment from various individuals and organisations for sponsoring 110 children in the area. We also have commitments from some individuals for reconstruction of Gurudwara Sahib.
"Save Life.. Register at www.Blood4All.co.in"
Waheguru Jee Ka Khalsa Waheguru Jee Ki Fateh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM1s4CJ5-pQ
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Extortion Increases in Arakan's Rambree
Rambree: Extortion in Rambree Township in Arakan State has been on the increase, particular extortion committed by the township chairman, said a retired school headmaster from Rambree.
He said that Township Chairman U Aung Kyaw Zaw has extorted taxes from many businessmen inRambree Township with threats of not providing them permits for future business operations.
U Aung Chit Than, who owns and operates the Rangoon-Rambree bus route, gave 100,000 kyat to the township chairman recently after being threatened with having his operation permit withdrawn.
U Tun Wai, who is also a bus owner from Sapar Ton Village under Lay Daung Village Tract in Rambree, gave 100,000 to the chairman in June after being similarly threatened.
U Nyo Win, a tractor owner from Ward One in Rambree, had to pay 100,000 kyats to U Aung Kyaw Zaw after he failed to meet the chairman when he was summoned.
U Than Kyaw, chairman of Ward Five in Rambree, and Ko Than Min Naing, a rickshaw puller, each had to give 5,000 kyats to the chairman. They were forced to pay after their tractor and rickshaw respectively crossed in front of the township chairman's motorbike when he was traveling in Rambree.
According to a source, the extorted money was transferred to him through the bank account that was opened at the government bank in the name of the township chairman fund.
Many high government officials in Arakan, including army and navy officials, have extorted money from the public recently because they believe they will lose this privilege after the 2010 election.
After the 2010 election, it is believe that the new government that comes to power will change the government administration system. Because of that, the government officials currently in power are taking advantage of the current situation to extort as much money as possible from the public, the retired teacher said.
narinjara
He said that Township Chairman U Aung Kyaw Zaw has extorted taxes from many businessmen inRambree Township with threats of not providing them permits for future business operations.
U Aung Chit Than, who owns and operates the Rangoon-Rambree bus route, gave 100,000 kyat to the township chairman recently after being threatened with having his operation permit withdrawn.
U Tun Wai, who is also a bus owner from Sapar Ton Village under Lay Daung Village Tract in Rambree, gave 100,000 to the chairman in June after being similarly threatened.
U Nyo Win, a tractor owner from Ward One in Rambree, had to pay 100,000 kyats to U Aung Kyaw Zaw after he failed to meet the chairman when he was summoned.
U Than Kyaw, chairman of Ward Five in Rambree, and Ko Than Min Naing, a rickshaw puller, each had to give 5,000 kyats to the chairman. They were forced to pay after their tractor and rickshaw respectively crossed in front of the township chairman's motorbike when he was traveling in Rambree.
According to a source, the extorted money was transferred to him through the bank account that was opened at the government bank in the name of the township chairman fund.
Many high government officials in Arakan, including army and navy officials, have extorted money from the public recently because they believe they will lose this privilege after the 2010 election.
After the 2010 election, it is believe that the new government that comes to power will change the government administration system. Because of that, the government officials currently in power are taking advantage of the current situation to extort as much money as possible from the public, the retired teacher said.
narinjara
Prices climb as scarcity mounts
The price of goods exported from Thailand increased, as fewer goods from Thailand have been arriving in Moulmein, according to traders in Moulmein.
Two days ago the main stream of business in Myawaddy mountain road was blocked as heavy rains falling in the mountain made the road impassible, and the Gaying bridge remained damage, forcing most trucks to have to reduce their weight while heading in the direction of Myawaddy at Hpa-an .
“Commodities are not arriving in Myawaddy so we just have to sell what we have left from before,” said a bulk seller from Zaykyo. “Because of this we are having to raise our sales prices.”
The price of most goods has increased beyond what would have sold when they were readily available. Before, one bucket cooking oil increasing in price from 24,000 kyat to 28,000 kyat said one resident. Among other items increasing in price are shoes, slippers and spices.
“Before the road was damaged we made profits of 300,000 kyat for trading with Myawaddy to Moulmein, but now we can’t ship our goods. We are waiting for road to reopen and have to spend money eating here and are losing the time for our job” said a trader from Myawaddy.
As previously reported by IMNA, authorities have limited the weight trucks are able to carry across the Gyaing suspension .The Gyaing suspension bridge is part of the main road to Rangoon,_Hpa-an,_Moulemin and_Myawaddy explained the rice trader from Myawaddy.
The trader added, “The Gyaing bridge was saging and the stream of the business imports from Thailand is slower because most of the trucks have had to transfer their cargo to smaller cars to transport it past the suspension bridge – they can only pass if they reduce the weight of their load.”
imna
Two days ago the main stream of business in Myawaddy mountain road was blocked as heavy rains falling in the mountain made the road impassible, and the Gaying bridge remained damage, forcing most trucks to have to reduce their weight while heading in the direction of Myawaddy at Hpa-an .
“Commodities are not arriving in Myawaddy so we just have to sell what we have left from before,” said a bulk seller from Zaykyo. “Because of this we are having to raise our sales prices.”
The price of most goods has increased beyond what would have sold when they were readily available. Before, one bucket cooking oil increasing in price from 24,000 kyat to 28,000 kyat said one resident. Among other items increasing in price are shoes, slippers and spices.
“Before the road was damaged we made profits of 300,000 kyat for trading with Myawaddy to Moulmein, but now we can’t ship our goods. We are waiting for road to reopen and have to spend money eating here and are losing the time for our job” said a trader from Myawaddy.
As previously reported by IMNA, authorities have limited the weight trucks are able to carry across the Gyaing suspension .The Gyaing suspension bridge is part of the main road to Rangoon,_Hpa-an,_Moulemin and_Myawaddy explained the rice trader from Myawaddy.
The trader added, “The Gyaing bridge was saging and the stream of the business imports from Thailand is slower because most of the trucks have had to transfer their cargo to smaller cars to transport it past the suspension bridge – they can only pass if they reduce the weight of their load.”
imna
Karen armed wing intends to recruit before Burmese army assault
The embattled armed wing of the largest Karen political group intends to recruit soldiers amongst Three Pagoda Pass township’s Karen population as the Burmese military government forces prepare to assault the Karen regional base.
The Karen National Union’s (KNU), Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), is intending to recruit soldiers after it has become evident that the Burmese Army will continue its offensive against the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) at brigade No. 6 located in the are of Three Pagoda Pass township.
The KNLA has been conducting brief military trainings for young men over the age of 18 throughout Karen territory for the past few years. The trainings have been conducted so that if necessary the men would be available to fight in the army.
The KNLA has already informed Karen villages that it will be recruiting villagers to serve in its army group. KNLA has not yet begun recruiting, but its efforts will focus on the Zami river area. Yet some villagers, including young men who were previously trained, are fleeing to Thailand, according to a Sa Ya Pa (Burmese military intelligence) who talked with Karen residents from TPP Township. There are Ten villages have along the Zami River and most consist of mostly Karen residents.
“I heard that the KNLA is trying to recruit villagers for their army,” said a Karen resident from TPP. “If there are 3 men in one household, the KNLA will take 2 men, and if you have 2 men in a house they will take 1.”
On July 8th the Burmese army State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) combined forces with the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) in a joint offensive against the KNLA brigade No. 6 forces in the temporary Tae Tone Lone camp, 12 kilometers outside Three Pagodas Pass. The KNU is preparing their forces to push back against the DKBA.
The recent fall of the KNLA base, brigade No. 7, led to a mass exodus of Karen refugees to the Thai-Burma border in the face of human rights abuses committed by the advancing SPDC –DKBA combined force. According to KNU sources, the SPDC and DKBA joint campaign is advancing towards the brigade No. 6 stronghold.
This increase in violence has caused problems throughout the Karen community. During recent fighting between the DKBA and the KNU, 2 DKBA soldiers were killed, according to a DKBA source. Since, the DKBA has blocked Karen villagers from Maketa from entering TPP township.
“About 10 Karen villagers who were suffering from illness went to get treated at a hospital,” commented a trader close to the DKBA. “When they arrived outside TPP town at the check point, DKBA and Burmese soldiers didn’t allow them to enter the town. So they had to go through the forest to enter town.”
imna
The Karen National Union’s (KNU), Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), is intending to recruit soldiers after it has become evident that the Burmese Army will continue its offensive against the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) at brigade No. 6 located in the are of Three Pagoda Pass township.
The KNLA has been conducting brief military trainings for young men over the age of 18 throughout Karen territory for the past few years. The trainings have been conducted so that if necessary the men would be available to fight in the army.
The KNLA has already informed Karen villages that it will be recruiting villagers to serve in its army group. KNLA has not yet begun recruiting, but its efforts will focus on the Zami river area. Yet some villagers, including young men who were previously trained, are fleeing to Thailand, according to a Sa Ya Pa (Burmese military intelligence) who talked with Karen residents from TPP Township. There are Ten villages have along the Zami River and most consist of mostly Karen residents.
“I heard that the KNLA is trying to recruit villagers for their army,” said a Karen resident from TPP. “If there are 3 men in one household, the KNLA will take 2 men, and if you have 2 men in a house they will take 1.”
On July 8th the Burmese army State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) combined forces with the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) in a joint offensive against the KNLA brigade No. 6 forces in the temporary Tae Tone Lone camp, 12 kilometers outside Three Pagodas Pass. The KNU is preparing their forces to push back against the DKBA.
The recent fall of the KNLA base, brigade No. 7, led to a mass exodus of Karen refugees to the Thai-Burma border in the face of human rights abuses committed by the advancing SPDC –DKBA combined force. According to KNU sources, the SPDC and DKBA joint campaign is advancing towards the brigade No. 6 stronghold.
This increase in violence has caused problems throughout the Karen community. During recent fighting between the DKBA and the KNU, 2 DKBA soldiers were killed, according to a DKBA source. Since, the DKBA has blocked Karen villagers from Maketa from entering TPP township.
“About 10 Karen villagers who were suffering from illness went to get treated at a hospital,” commented a trader close to the DKBA. “When they arrived outside TPP town at the check point, DKBA and Burmese soldiers didn’t allow them to enter the town. So they had to go through the forest to enter town.”
imna
Two soldiers of DKBA arrested, one left standing
Two Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) soldiers were seized by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) yesterday between Three Pagoda Pass (TPP) and Maketa forest. During the arrest sources claim one of the DKBA soldiers was killed.
According to sources from Three Pagoda Pass (TPP), forces from KNLA Bridge No.6, battalion No. 16, at the Kyun-chaung checkpoint, arrested two DKBA soldiers who were traveling from Chaung Wa, where they lived, to TPP, by boat. The soldiers, who were regular infantry of a low rank, were traveling together with no other support, and it is unclear how they were recognized as DKBA, and subsequently arrested.
“DKBA Captin Saw Aye One called his soldiers to go to TPP, and while traveling they were arrested and one of them was killed by the KNLA. The other DKBA soldier is still being detained by the KNLA,” said a source from the Karen Peace Force. “The KNU have not retaliated after a recent combined attack from the DKBA and Burmese army against the KNU on July 8th.”
On July 8th, the DKBA fought against troops from KNLA Bridge No.6 in Maketa from which the DKBA suffered 2 casualties. After the conflict between the DKBA and the KNU, a rumor spread out that the Burmese army and the DKBA combine force would continue to fight against KNU Bridge No.6.
According to a KNU officer from Dooplaya District, their forces didn’t kill or arrest either DKBA soldier, and that their battalion No. 16 didn’t engage in any action yesterday.
The actual circumstances around the event remain unclear. According to a source from TPP close to the KNU, “[The] KNU arrested DKBA soldiers yesterday; 1 solider was killed but I am not sure where the KNU is keeping the other soldier.“
The event has prompted Burmese authorities to tighten security inside and outside TPP town, residents claim, explaining the security increase most likely came as reaction to the arrests as well as an increase fear about the spread of H1N1.
imna
According to sources from Three Pagoda Pass (TPP), forces from KNLA Bridge No.6, battalion No. 16, at the Kyun-chaung checkpoint, arrested two DKBA soldiers who were traveling from Chaung Wa, where they lived, to TPP, by boat. The soldiers, who were regular infantry of a low rank, were traveling together with no other support, and it is unclear how they were recognized as DKBA, and subsequently arrested.
“DKBA Captin Saw Aye One called his soldiers to go to TPP, and while traveling they were arrested and one of them was killed by the KNLA. The other DKBA soldier is still being detained by the KNLA,” said a source from the Karen Peace Force. “The KNU have not retaliated after a recent combined attack from the DKBA and Burmese army against the KNU on July 8th.”
On July 8th, the DKBA fought against troops from KNLA Bridge No.6 in Maketa from which the DKBA suffered 2 casualties. After the conflict between the DKBA and the KNU, a rumor spread out that the Burmese army and the DKBA combine force would continue to fight against KNU Bridge No.6.
According to a KNU officer from Dooplaya District, their forces didn’t kill or arrest either DKBA soldier, and that their battalion No. 16 didn’t engage in any action yesterday.
The actual circumstances around the event remain unclear. According to a source from TPP close to the KNU, “[The] KNU arrested DKBA soldiers yesterday; 1 solider was killed but I am not sure where the KNU is keeping the other soldier.“
The event has prompted Burmese authorities to tighten security inside and outside TPP town, residents claim, explaining the security increase most likely came as reaction to the arrests as well as an increase fear about the spread of H1N1.
imna
Cyclone survivors struggle with debt burden
A year ago, Soe Soe was US$20 in debt. Like many survivors of Nargis who lost their homes, she had no choice but to borrow from money lenders to feed her family - often at extortionate interest rates.
But more than a year after the category four storm struck southern Myanmar - leaving close to 140,000 people dead and affecting more than two million - she says she is drowning in debt.
"For me it’s one disaster after another," the 29-year-old told IRIN from her makeshift hut in Outkwin Village in Pyapon Township, in the heart of Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady Delta and one of the hardest-hit areas.
She now owes about $200 and at an interest rate of 40 percent every two weeks, she is unlikely to be able to repay it.
Debt levels were already high before Nargis, according to the UN, but since then they have soared and credit is now harder to find. People are increasingly worried that they will not be able feed themselves, much less restore their livelihoods alone - pushing them increasingly into the hands of money lenders, who are thriving.
According to one interviewed by IRIN, interest rates are about 10-20 percent a month with some collateral, while others charge as much as 40 percent for a two-week period if there is a greater risk of default.
"We know our interest rates are higher than in previous years, but it's quite risky for us," one money lender in Outkwin said. "We can lose our money any time if they don’t pay back.”
Others maintain that the higher the interest rate, the more likely they will get their money back.
"I even had to leave a longyi [a sarong-like garment worn by men and women] as collateral,” said one mother of two.
Food debt
According to a Rapid Food Security Assessment conducted by the World Food Programme (WFP) earlier this year, 83 percent of households surveyed were reportedly in debt – with food the dominant expense.
The survey showed that 51 percent of sampled households in the Labutta and Bogale townships relied on food aid for rice supplies, while only 25 percent reported a recovery in their livelihoods.
"Recovery will require several more years of support and input," Chris Kaye, country director for WFP in Myanmar, told IRIN earlier.
That being the case, many survivors feel they have no choice but to accept higher interest rates, knowing they will face even tougher times ahead.
Aye Lwin, 41, from Phoshangyi Village, Dedaye Township, says her family of nine can barely afford one meal a day since they cannot borrow any more money.
“Is there anyone who will rescue us from this debt trap?” the mother-of-seven asked.
Last year she borrowed nearly $500 at 15 percent a month to buy fishing equipment, but this year’s catch has proven much smaller than in previous years and she can longer keep up with the payments.
irinnews
But more than a year after the category four storm struck southern Myanmar - leaving close to 140,000 people dead and affecting more than two million - she says she is drowning in debt.
"For me it’s one disaster after another," the 29-year-old told IRIN from her makeshift hut in Outkwin Village in Pyapon Township, in the heart of Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady Delta and one of the hardest-hit areas.
She now owes about $200 and at an interest rate of 40 percent every two weeks, she is unlikely to be able to repay it.
Debt levels were already high before Nargis, according to the UN, but since then they have soared and credit is now harder to find. People are increasingly worried that they will not be able feed themselves, much less restore their livelihoods alone - pushing them increasingly into the hands of money lenders, who are thriving.
According to one interviewed by IRIN, interest rates are about 10-20 percent a month with some collateral, while others charge as much as 40 percent for a two-week period if there is a greater risk of default.
"We know our interest rates are higher than in previous years, but it's quite risky for us," one money lender in Outkwin said. "We can lose our money any time if they don’t pay back.”
Others maintain that the higher the interest rate, the more likely they will get their money back.
"I even had to leave a longyi [a sarong-like garment worn by men and women] as collateral,” said one mother of two.
Food debt
According to a Rapid Food Security Assessment conducted by the World Food Programme (WFP) earlier this year, 83 percent of households surveyed were reportedly in debt – with food the dominant expense.
The survey showed that 51 percent of sampled households in the Labutta and Bogale townships relied on food aid for rice supplies, while only 25 percent reported a recovery in their livelihoods.
"Recovery will require several more years of support and input," Chris Kaye, country director for WFP in Myanmar, told IRIN earlier.
That being the case, many survivors feel they have no choice but to accept higher interest rates, knowing they will face even tougher times ahead.
Aye Lwin, 41, from Phoshangyi Village, Dedaye Township, says her family of nine can barely afford one meal a day since they cannot borrow any more money.
“Is there anyone who will rescue us from this debt trap?” the mother-of-seven asked.
Last year she borrowed nearly $500 at 15 percent a month to buy fishing equipment, but this year’s catch has proven much smaller than in previous years and she can longer keep up with the payments.
irinnews
Lack of cash slows Nargis recovery
YANGON, (IRIN) - A three-year recovery plan for survivors of Cyclone Nargis remains severely underfunded: of the US$691 million requested under the post-Nargis recovery and preparedness plan (PONREPP), just $100 million has been pledged.
"Only a limited amount has been released," Bishow Parajuli, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar, told IRIN in Yangon, the former capital.
"On behalf of the humanitarian community working in the cyclone-affected communities, I call upon the continued support from the international community to help us help the people, as a supplement to the efforts undertaken by the authorities," he said.
Of the nine sectors outlined in the plan - aimed at ensuring a smooth transition from emergency relief and early recovery to sustainable medium-term recovery - agriculture and shelter remain the least funded.
Of the $174 million requested for shelter, $50 million has been received, while for agriculture virtually nothing has been paid out, against a $189 million request for livelihoods.
"We have received hardly anything," Tesfai Ghermazien, a senior emergency and rehabilitation coordinator with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Myanmar and leader of the agriculture cluster, told IRIN.
NGOs are already struggling, with some, such as Help from Germany, having no choice but to leave altogether; more are likely to follow unless cash is forthcoming.
According to FAO, inadequate funding means insufficient productive inputs, technical support, adaptive post-harvest technology and less capacity building - with repercussions for food and nutrition security as well as income.
"Agriculture is the main source of livelihoods in the delta and possibly close to 90 percent of the population relies directly or indirectly on agricultural activities," Ghermazien told IRIN.
Despite efforts over the past year, assistance for livelihoods has been far less than needed just to bring farming households back to pre-Nargis levels, he said: "Many farming households are trapped in a vicious debt cycle. There are pockets of food-insecure areas and the poverty level is far [greater] than desired."
Comparative disasters
Following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, a disaster on a similar scale to Nargis in terms of impact on the population of Aceh in Indonesia, Aceh received more than $5 billion in international assistance in the first three years.
The PONREPP's cost, together with the initial emergency response already delivered, represents only about a fifth of the international community's response to Aceh.
PONREPP averages $230 million per year for three years, representing $31 per capita per year for the delta's population (about 7.35 million people).
"Myanmar receives very little humanitarian support per capita," Mark Canning, Britain's ambassador to Myanmar, said. "The UK has contributed substantially to the Nargis response and in other areas like health, education and livelihoods, and would like to see more donors working in the country," the Tripartite Core Group (TCG) quoted him as saying in May.
And while he underlined that as a major donor the UK was committed to keeping its humanitarian activity and political views separate, he added that, like it or not, political developments inevitably affected donor perceptions.
The PONREPP - prepared by the TCG - comprising the Myanmar government, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and UN - runs from January 2009 through December 2011.
irinnews
"Only a limited amount has been released," Bishow Parajuli, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar, told IRIN in Yangon, the former capital.
"On behalf of the humanitarian community working in the cyclone-affected communities, I call upon the continued support from the international community to help us help the people, as a supplement to the efforts undertaken by the authorities," he said.
Of the nine sectors outlined in the plan - aimed at ensuring a smooth transition from emergency relief and early recovery to sustainable medium-term recovery - agriculture and shelter remain the least funded.
Of the $174 million requested for shelter, $50 million has been received, while for agriculture virtually nothing has been paid out, against a $189 million request for livelihoods.
"We have received hardly anything," Tesfai Ghermazien, a senior emergency and rehabilitation coordinator with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Myanmar and leader of the agriculture cluster, told IRIN.
NGOs are already struggling, with some, such as Help from Germany, having no choice but to leave altogether; more are likely to follow unless cash is forthcoming.
According to FAO, inadequate funding means insufficient productive inputs, technical support, adaptive post-harvest technology and less capacity building - with repercussions for food and nutrition security as well as income.
"Agriculture is the main source of livelihoods in the delta and possibly close to 90 percent of the population relies directly or indirectly on agricultural activities," Ghermazien told IRIN.
Despite efforts over the past year, assistance for livelihoods has been far less than needed just to bring farming households back to pre-Nargis levels, he said: "Many farming households are trapped in a vicious debt cycle. There are pockets of food-insecure areas and the poverty level is far [greater] than desired."
Comparative disasters
Following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, a disaster on a similar scale to Nargis in terms of impact on the population of Aceh in Indonesia, Aceh received more than $5 billion in international assistance in the first three years.
The PONREPP's cost, together with the initial emergency response already delivered, represents only about a fifth of the international community's response to Aceh.
PONREPP averages $230 million per year for three years, representing $31 per capita per year for the delta's population (about 7.35 million people).
"Myanmar receives very little humanitarian support per capita," Mark Canning, Britain's ambassador to Myanmar, said. "The UK has contributed substantially to the Nargis response and in other areas like health, education and livelihoods, and would like to see more donors working in the country," the Tripartite Core Group (TCG) quoted him as saying in May.
And while he underlined that as a major donor the UK was committed to keeping its humanitarian activity and political views separate, he added that, like it or not, political developments inevitably affected donor perceptions.
The PONREPP - prepared by the TCG - comprising the Myanmar government, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and UN - runs from January 2009 through December 2011.
irinnews
Taking bets on increased poverty
YANGON, 20 July 2009 (IRIN) - Illegal lotteries are growing in popularity in Myanmar, fuelled by a sense of hopelessness and exacerbating the widespread economic hardship, say aid workers.
On the streets of Yangon, the former capital, the so-called "two digits" illegal lottery is so popular that development workers call it one of the most serious problems facing the children of poor families. It is especially popular among the poorest, who can least afford to lose their daily wages of US$1-$3.
Agents willing to take bets are everywhere - in cities, market towns and rural areas across Southeast Asia's second-largest nation of 58 million. But there is no social safety net, nothing to stop a family from going under when the betting losses add up.
"They bet because they think they'll get a big win, and then their troubles will be over," said a Burmese community worker, who runs self-help groups for poor women living in temporary shelters around Yangon.
"When they've lost everything they must give up their house, take their children out of school and send them to work. Often they will end up begging."
Economic burden
Myanmar's citizens are no better off now than 20 years ago, and most subsist on an average annual income of less than $200 per capita, the US State Department reports.
According to a 2005 UN Development Programme (UNDP) household survey, one-third of Myanmar's population lives below the poverty line.
Inflation is adding to the economic burden, with the price of rice, for example, up by 30 percent over the past year alone.
In an extensive survey by an international NGO, Myanmar children cited gambling as one of their biggest problems.
"Children said gambling happens everywhere, at home, at school, in the village. They also said everyone gambles: fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, grandparents," said a child protection expert at the NGO, who did not want to be identified because illegal gambling is a sensitive political issue.
"The children said the gambling drained the family economy, created an unhappy household and led to domestic violence."
Paying with child labour
Children also said they could be used in negotiations over debt - parents often sell their children's labour in return for credit.
"In Mandalay, some teashop owners told us that children who came to work in their restaurants usually came from families who had lost their assets betting on the two digits and three digits lottery," the child protection worker told IRIN.
It is common for gambling addicts to lose their homes, or be forced to mortgage their houses to the government, burdening them with a monthly debt, aid workers say.
The two digits lottery is an illegal scheme based on the last two digits of the closing price of the Bangkok stock exchange, unpredictable numbers that appear each day on the Thai television news, beamed into Myanmar by satellite.
The higher-risk, and higher-reward, "three digits" lottery is based on numbers from Thailand's own national lottery.
Kyaw Kyaw, 35, is a typical gambler. He lives in the rundown Yangon township of Daubon, repairing small motors and generators on the ground floor of his small brick house. He bets about a third of his daily income of some $3. Like all Myanmar's small-time betters, he usually loses.
But he does not see it that way: "Twice a day I have hope," he says.
Saleswomen for the betting agents come round to the house every day, collecting cash. They take a 10 percent cut and will often offer credit - pushing families dangerously into debt.
Awareness raising
The business is illegal, and anyone caught gambling or taking bets could receive a prison sentence of between three months and two years.
But gamblers say a bribe will get rid of most policemen, who will also expect a cut if someone in the neighbourhood has had a big win.
NGOs say they want to start to tackle the problem at community level, by raising awareness in education, child protection or micro-finance programmes. This would give community members an opportunity to share experiences and to recognize how gambling affects their lives.
"Only the bookmakers get rich," said the community worker. "But if they could see what we see, how it ruins people's lives, then I hope they would stop."
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On the streets of Yangon, the former capital, the so-called "two digits" illegal lottery is so popular that development workers call it one of the most serious problems facing the children of poor families. It is especially popular among the poorest, who can least afford to lose their daily wages of US$1-$3.
Agents willing to take bets are everywhere - in cities, market towns and rural areas across Southeast Asia's second-largest nation of 58 million. But there is no social safety net, nothing to stop a family from going under when the betting losses add up.
"They bet because they think they'll get a big win, and then their troubles will be over," said a Burmese community worker, who runs self-help groups for poor women living in temporary shelters around Yangon.
"When they've lost everything they must give up their house, take their children out of school and send them to work. Often they will end up begging."
Economic burden
Myanmar's citizens are no better off now than 20 years ago, and most subsist on an average annual income of less than $200 per capita, the US State Department reports.
According to a 2005 UN Development Programme (UNDP) household survey, one-third of Myanmar's population lives below the poverty line.
Inflation is adding to the economic burden, with the price of rice, for example, up by 30 percent over the past year alone.
In an extensive survey by an international NGO, Myanmar children cited gambling as one of their biggest problems.
"Children said gambling happens everywhere, at home, at school, in the village. They also said everyone gambles: fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, grandparents," said a child protection expert at the NGO, who did not want to be identified because illegal gambling is a sensitive political issue.
"The children said the gambling drained the family economy, created an unhappy household and led to domestic violence."
Paying with child labour
Children also said they could be used in negotiations over debt - parents often sell their children's labour in return for credit.
"In Mandalay, some teashop owners told us that children who came to work in their restaurants usually came from families who had lost their assets betting on the two digits and three digits lottery," the child protection worker told IRIN.
It is common for gambling addicts to lose their homes, or be forced to mortgage their houses to the government, burdening them with a monthly debt, aid workers say.
The two digits lottery is an illegal scheme based on the last two digits of the closing price of the Bangkok stock exchange, unpredictable numbers that appear each day on the Thai television news, beamed into Myanmar by satellite.
The higher-risk, and higher-reward, "three digits" lottery is based on numbers from Thailand's own national lottery.
Kyaw Kyaw, 35, is a typical gambler. He lives in the rundown Yangon township of Daubon, repairing small motors and generators on the ground floor of his small brick house. He bets about a third of his daily income of some $3. Like all Myanmar's small-time betters, he usually loses.
But he does not see it that way: "Twice a day I have hope," he says.
Saleswomen for the betting agents come round to the house every day, collecting cash. They take a 10 percent cut and will often offer credit - pushing families dangerously into debt.
Awareness raising
The business is illegal, and anyone caught gambling or taking bets could receive a prison sentence of between three months and two years.
But gamblers say a bribe will get rid of most policemen, who will also expect a cut if someone in the neighbourhood has had a big win.
NGOs say they want to start to tackle the problem at community level, by raising awareness in education, child protection or micro-finance programmes. This would give community members an opportunity to share experiences and to recognize how gambling affects their lives.
"Only the bookmakers get rich," said the community worker. "But if they could see what we see, how it ruins people's lives, then I hope they would stop."
irinnews
Burma: Lack of care for landmine victims
YANGON, 15 July 2009 (IRIN) - Hundreds of landmine victims every year never receive adequate rehabilitation assistance, according to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL).
While there are no exact figures, the group says the numbers are "substantial". Myanmar is second only to Afghanistan in terms of landmine casualties in Asia.
NGOs believe the casualty figures over the past five to six years have been increasing.
"The landmine problem in Burma is alarming," Afredo Ferrariz Lubang, regional representative for the NGO Nonviolence International in Bangkok told IRIN, citing at least one case a day.
"Not only does it pose a threat but it is crippling Burma's future on a daily basis," he said.
Access to services remains "inadequate", ICBL said.
Landmines have long been used along the borders with Thailand and Bangladesh where Myanmar's government has been battling armed rebel groups.
In December, ICBL reported widespread landmine use in Karen, Karenni, Rakhine and Shan States and the Tenaserrim and Pegu Divisions.
In addition to domestically produced mines, Myanmar has also obtained and used Chinese, Indian, Italian, Soviet and US-manufactured mines, ICBL says.
"The Burma army continues to use landmines. Not only on the border with Thailand, but all over the Karen, Karenni and Shan states of eastern Burma," David Eubank, director of the Free Burma Rangers, an organisation providing medical and other assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) inside Myanmar, told IRIN.
Some reports suggest that prisoners have been forced to assist in mine-clearing efforts, while Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the government of planting mines around rice crops in areas cleared by the military during counter-insurgency operations.
"It's a fairly common practice - particularly in conflict areas in Karen state," David Scott Mathieson, Burma researcher for HRW told IRIN from the Thai border town of Mae Sot. "The idea is to deter civilians from returning to their villages to collect their belongings or tend their crops."
Despite reporting difficulties, some 438 casualties were recorded in 2007 compared with 243 in 2006, Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, research coordinator for the Landmine Monitor, which provides research to ICBL, told IRIN. "That's an 80 percent increase."
Of those injured in 2007, the latest figures available, 47 people died, up from 20 deaths in 2006 - although those numbers are also not conclusive.
Access to services
In 2007, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stopped assisting three physical rehabilitation centres run by the Ministry of Health and three centres run by the Ministry of Defence.
It continues, however, to support the Myanmar Red Cross's outreach prosthetic programme in the southeast, the area worst affected by landmines.
According to ICRC's annual report for 2008, 223 amputees who might otherwise have been unable to travel were helped to the Hpa-an centre to receive appropriate care.
In 2008, 5,419 patients (including 694 women and 371 children) received help at the ICRC-supported physical rehabilitation centre, including 1,031 new patients (including 69 women and 30 children).
While prosthetic limbs are available to refugees along the Thai border at refugee camps and at the Mao Tao Clinic in Mae Sot, as well as through Thai hospitals, for those inside the country, access remains poor.
Limited service is available on the Bangladesh and Indian borders.
Myanmar's government remains one of more than 30 countries in the world that has not signed up to the 1997 Ottawa Convention, an international agreement banning the use of anti-personnel mines.
irinnews
While there are no exact figures, the group says the numbers are "substantial". Myanmar is second only to Afghanistan in terms of landmine casualties in Asia.
NGOs believe the casualty figures over the past five to six years have been increasing.
"The landmine problem in Burma is alarming," Afredo Ferrariz Lubang, regional representative for the NGO Nonviolence International in Bangkok told IRIN, citing at least one case a day.
"Not only does it pose a threat but it is crippling Burma's future on a daily basis," he said.
Access to services remains "inadequate", ICBL said.
Landmines have long been used along the borders with Thailand and Bangladesh where Myanmar's government has been battling armed rebel groups.
In December, ICBL reported widespread landmine use in Karen, Karenni, Rakhine and Shan States and the Tenaserrim and Pegu Divisions.
In addition to domestically produced mines, Myanmar has also obtained and used Chinese, Indian, Italian, Soviet and US-manufactured mines, ICBL says.
"The Burma army continues to use landmines. Not only on the border with Thailand, but all over the Karen, Karenni and Shan states of eastern Burma," David Eubank, director of the Free Burma Rangers, an organisation providing medical and other assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) inside Myanmar, told IRIN.
Some reports suggest that prisoners have been forced to assist in mine-clearing efforts, while Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the government of planting mines around rice crops in areas cleared by the military during counter-insurgency operations.
"It's a fairly common practice - particularly in conflict areas in Karen state," David Scott Mathieson, Burma researcher for HRW told IRIN from the Thai border town of Mae Sot. "The idea is to deter civilians from returning to their villages to collect their belongings or tend their crops."
Despite reporting difficulties, some 438 casualties were recorded in 2007 compared with 243 in 2006, Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, research coordinator for the Landmine Monitor, which provides research to ICBL, told IRIN. "That's an 80 percent increase."
Of those injured in 2007, the latest figures available, 47 people died, up from 20 deaths in 2006 - although those numbers are also not conclusive.
Access to services
In 2007, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stopped assisting three physical rehabilitation centres run by the Ministry of Health and three centres run by the Ministry of Defence.
It continues, however, to support the Myanmar Red Cross's outreach prosthetic programme in the southeast, the area worst affected by landmines.
According to ICRC's annual report for 2008, 223 amputees who might otherwise have been unable to travel were helped to the Hpa-an centre to receive appropriate care.
In 2008, 5,419 patients (including 694 women and 371 children) received help at the ICRC-supported physical rehabilitation centre, including 1,031 new patients (including 69 women and 30 children).
While prosthetic limbs are available to refugees along the Thai border at refugee camps and at the Mao Tao Clinic in Mae Sot, as well as through Thai hospitals, for those inside the country, access remains poor.
Limited service is available on the Bangladesh and Indian borders.
Myanmar's government remains one of more than 30 countries in the world that has not signed up to the 1997 Ottawa Convention, an international agreement banning the use of anti-personnel mines.
irinnews
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