Human Rights Watch-Burma: One Year After Cyclone, Repression Continues-Free Imprisoned Activists and Community Workers

2009 May 1
tags: Human Rights, world focus on Burma, Cyclon Nargis, Junta, Burma
by peacerunning
APRIL 30, 2009RELATED MATERIALS:Letter to Donors on Reconstruction after Cyclone NargisBurma: Free Celebrity Activist Critical of Aid ResponseOTHER MATERIAL:2008 audio slideshow featuring commentary by Brad Adams, Asia directorRELATED FEATURES:
Burma: One Year After Cyclone NargisBurma: One Year After Cyclone NargisBasic freedoms for cyclone survivors are just as restricted as they were before the cyclone. Donors and friends of the military government, such as China, should press Burma’s generals to free activists like Zargana who helped the survivors.
Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch(New York) - One year after the devastation of Cyclone Nargis, the Burmese military government should release all those imprisoned for independently providing humanitarian aid to victims for criticizing the government’s response, Human Rights Watch said today. On May 2, 2008, Cyclone Nargis struck Burma’s Irrawaddy Delta region, killing an estimated 140,000 people and severely affecting 2.4 million others.
In the immediate aftermath of the cyclone, the government was slow to mobilize aid efforts or allow international relief agencies access to the devastated region. Since then, it has unfairly tried and imprisoned at least 21 community aid workers who sought to help cyclone survivors, including Burma’s most famous comedian, Zargana.continue http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/04/30/burma-one-year-after-cyclone-repression-continues