22nd May – Accounts from Travel to Bogalay by our donation team

I went to Bogalay for two days on 19th and 20th May.

Through the route from Yangon to Bogalay, 10 army trucks were found at different
points- 2 or 3 at a time moving towards Yangon.
On coming back to Yangon,12, 2 or 3 in numbers at a time were moving towards the delta, they didn’t carry any goods like international ones. They were all found near the towns- Kyaik latt, Phyar pone, Maubin and Bogalay.
But just outside Yangon around 7:00 pm on the 20th there were nearly 30 trucks carrying goods. Some boxes had USAIDs stickers.

The boxes having the stickers of “Singapore” and rice bags are found
at the building of “Myanmar rice merchants’ association” in Pyar pone and
at the “USDA” building in Bogalay.

There are over 500 victims and over 1200 each at two monasteries visited. Where our team donate food and provide medical care.
These victims are supported by the monks. No goods from the international support are found.

The first monastery has 562 victims from 19 different villages, 18 households are from Bogalay town.
243 of them are children.

1200 live in four different buildings at the second one.
Each household has one tin of rice a day from the monks.
Some live outside the buildings making their own shelters.
One woman is worried about the rice to eat, complaining that the abbot not only give
rice to them but also distribute to nearby villages.
She said clothes to wear is not a problem now.
However, when clothes were distributed, all were very eager to get a piece or two.
Not more than 20 bags of rice were found at the site of storage.
The abbot was said to insist on not giving up the victims to the government camps saying he would look after them as long as he has supplies.

There are said to be over 50 monasteries in the town itself; most have victims.
The government is supposed to give shelters to the victims staying at the state schools.
There are two high schools and two middle school in Bogalay.
The middle school No. 2 is now preparing to repair the rooftops; trucks are downloading corrugated iron roofs.
It means all victims there will be evacuated. On 19th, some were sent back to their own villages in boats,
and 2 or 3 of them capsized in the strong wind in the evening.
Some say three, some say one boat sank; over 100 said to be killed. Nobody knows for sure.
The people on board were said to have been given rice for 7 days and 20,000 kyats.
In the morning on 20th, two army trucks with people grabbing their packages were driving towards the river. The schools are told to receive the registration for coming academic year starting from 25th this month.

At the top of the road leading to the state school No. 1, a policeman was turning the people away not to let them enter the school. In front of it, there are a few “Huts”(usually mentioned in the newspapers). No one was found inside.
A Hindu temple nearby give any person three meals a day.
A man taking refuge in that school said he had missed the breakfast for waiting to be sent that morning.
He said he got 4 tins of rice and some potatoes during five days of staying at the school.
Mosquitoes nets were donated by private donor; later they were taken back by women in green and white uniforms.
He is worried about his future back in his village; he has no cattle left, no house. Food for 7 days will not be enough.
He is worried about his children,too. The most he is worried about is how to buy and sell things to live on.
He said some are fleeing not to be sent back.

The monasteries are told to get rid of the victims by the end of this month.
It’s not confirmed yet; it’s rumored.

On 20th, the civil servants quarter and the military and police are busy in their full dress.
Police are directing the people not to take this or that road.

The one and only hospital is still crowded with the cyclone victims having wounds.
The power is supplied till 9:00 pm.
Cockroaches and strayed dogs are enjoying their life in the wards.

Along the roadsides from Bogalay to Phyar pone new huts built with coconuts leaves
and branches are found. A group of several people are crowded in each hut.
Most are standing and waiting outside for the passing cars to get some food and money till midnight.
The road is nearly two hour drive long; the line of these people are found along the road without interruption.

Nyi Htet