Ghost of Cyclone Nargis

by Myo Thein
Tuesday, 22 September 2009 18:14

Rangoon (Mizzima) – People were in a hurry to move and everything was chaotic. Some shops closed early, some workers took leave from their employers and went back home hurriedly. It was September 14 and there was a storm brewing -- a Tsunami?

But there was no emergency weather report on the state-run TV or radio. People do not bother to listen to the Burmese TV and radio. They continued with their work.

As usual, the answering machine of the Meteorology and Hydrology Department phone line 667766 was not working. It was either busy or out of service.

The news release by the Burma Met Department is always late and of little use. The major international weather websites such as that of the US Navy did not give an emergency warning for Bay of Bengal, leave alone a Tsunami. The possibility was of only a weak storm in South China Sea which would not shake even coconut leaves in Tavoy.

But before the devastating Cyclone Nargis, 'Did the Burmese TV and radio announce anything in advance', some asked.

After Cyclone Nargis, they tried to find scapegoats and started a blame game. Who was responsible for this? Some put the blame on the Met Department for not making an announcement and giving a warning in time. But according to the Met Department, though they gave a warning of the deadly cyclone as a 'landmark cyclone' to the top echelons in Naypyitaw, they failed to take necessary action. The ever irresponsible military regime did not warn the people.

"The Met Department does not have its own radio and TV channel. Our department has presented proposals to the government but it was rejected saying that it was impossible as per policy," a former Met official said.

The deadly cyclone devastated the Irrawaddy delta region, which is the rice bowl of the country, and left nearly 140,000 dead and 3.2 million people homeless.

Most times, news about a 'storm' can lead to the streets being deserted. In devastated Rangoon and Irrawaddy Division, the word 'storm' can make eyes watery.

This storm warning on September 14 from Rangoon spread to Irrwaddy Division on September 15. The people moved to safer places in panic.

News makes history, sometimes history turns into news.

A high ranking official of the Met Department told Mizzima, 'It's a leak of the Met Department's top secret'.

The announcement made in a 'restricted' category by the Met Deptartment (Naypyitaw) on September 14 says, 'This is a mock warning and emergency drill for disaster management. This is not a real warning'. The time of issue of this mock warning is stated at 3 p.m. on this paper.

This mock warning says, 'The severe earthquake -- 9.5 on the Richter scale struck today at 14 Hr 30 minutes 00 second 950 miles south of Kabaaye seismic centre. Due to this severe earthquake, within two to five hours from the issuance of this warning, a 10-foot high Tsunami wave can hit places along the Burmese coast. The people living in this areas are advised to move to higher grounds in inner places away from the coastline'.

The mock Tsunami warning was signed by new Met Department Director General Dr. Thein Tun.

The mock warning was sent to governmental departments in Nayyidaw, branch offices of the Met Department, administrative bodies in Divisions and Special Regions, for joint emergency drills.

"It might have been leaked from Military Affairs Security (MAS). Even in our Met Department low ranking officials did not know about it. It was issued in secrecy on a 'Restricted' category. This is just an emergency drill for disaster management such as how to report an emergency situation to the administrative bodies at the earliest and get ready in an emergency," the Met official said.

After Cyclone Nargis people living in lower Burma are accustomed to listening to storm warnings and weather reports. But there is no regular information flow and the officials too have not yet gone in for systematic information dissemination. The people still suffer from post-Nargis trauma.

Though there was panic among the people for about three days because of the mock Tsunami warning, the government has not yet made any official announcement regarding it. A veteran journalist in Burma said, "Our country put security issues as first priority, but it is not for the security of people's lives and belongings, but for the ruling class only".