Junta accused of obstructing flood relief efforts in central Myanmar

Locals affected by severe flooding across central Myanmar say that the regime is making relief efforts more difficult by imposing restrictions on the flow of supplies into hard-hit areas. In Bago Region’s Yedashe Township, the military has set up checkpoints to control how much food and other aid reaches flood-affected villages east of the Sittaung River, according to residents. On the Thagaya Bridge, which provides access to villages on the eastern bank of the river, there are at least 30 junta personnel carrying out stringent inspections to ensure that anti-regime forces are not receiving aid supplies, locals told Myanmar Now. Restrictions have long been in place to prevent goods entering the area, which is regarded as a resistance stronghold. Despite the current emergency situation, the junta continues to try to starve these areas, according to locals. “The soldiers inspect everything to make sure that none of it is going to revolutionary groups. Rice mills are also not allowed to process large amounts of rice,” said a local resident. “The situation now is even worse than it was before,” he added. At least 30 villages along the Sittaung River have been inundated by rising water levels since the remnants of Cyclone Yagi reached Myanmar late last week, devastating large parts of the country. While the regime made a rare appeal for international assistance over the weekend, it remains wary of local groups involved in the relief effort. According to a woman living in Yedashe Township, the military has warned locals not to accept aid offered by groups opposing the regime, and keeps a close watch on aid providers. “Rice, instant noodles, and bottled water are delivered to monasteries, and then monks and soldiers distribute them to homes. The soldiers are there to monitor this distribution,” the woman said. Some residents have also been prevented from leaving submerged areas by boat. Instead, they have been instructed to stay at monasteries or in taller buildings until the water subsides or they can be evacuated. “Everything is under water, so there’s nothing left here. We have enough food for now, but they restrict that, so sometimes we have to share what we have,” said one stranded resident. Meanwhile, in other parts of the country, residents complain that the regime has prematurely ended its efforts to assist people affected by the flooding. “They’ve stopped their search and rescue efforts and have only cleaned up the main road and some schools,” said a resident of Kalaw in southern Shan State. Social welfare teams said that water pumps and bulldozers were urgently needed to clear away the mud and debris covering the town. Without them, it could be months before residents are able to return to their homes, they said. Severe flooding and landslides have damaged nearly 900 houses in Kalaw, and completely destroyed at least 255, according to residents. At least 4,000 people have been displaced, including around 200 families currently sheltering at 11 monasteries. Residents also claimed that more 100 people died in Kalaw, a popular hilltop resort town, after houses in three residential wards were washed away by floodwaters. “The authorities are unwilling to disclose the real death toll,” a volunteer from a local-based social welfare team said. The regime has reported just 13 deaths and damage to 234 houses in Kalaw. The situation is also dire in the area around Inle Lake, east of Kalaw, where more than 170 villages are also experiencing severe flooding. “The water level has risen more than 10 feet in Inle Lake. Nearly 95 percent of the residents have had to flee their homes,” a representative from a local social welfare team said. West of Kalaw, in Mandalay Region’s Yamethin Township, the devastation has been even more extensive. At least a dozen villages have been completely swept away, and more than 100 bodies have been recovered, according to locals. Around half of the known victims were in one village, Tha Pyay Pin, where local volunteers told Myanmar Now that at least 50 people had been killed. “Many villagers have lost family members, and some are now completely alone after losing their entire families,” said a representative of a township-based social welfare team. At least 200 surviving villagers are currently seeking refuge at the village monastery and a school, he added. In another village, Chaung Hpyar, eight people have been found dead and another 10 are still missing, according to a representative of another local volunteer team. The junta’s capital has also been severely affected. According to local sources, at least 50 people have died in the Naypyitaw Union Territory due to the heavy flooding. As of late Tuesday, 226 people have been killed and another 77 were missing nationwide, according to the regime’s official figures.

Junta accused of obstructing flood relief efforts in central Myanmar

In some areas, the regime has prioritised isolating its opponents over public safety, according to locals affected by devastating floods

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