Cyclone Nargis, Burma/Myanmar Joonki Kim Zoe Newman

History and Background (1/2) 1948 – Union of Burma gains independence from Great Britain Myanmar controlled by military regime after a coup d'état – “Burmese Way to Socialism” 1988 – Pro-democracy demonstrations “8888 Uprising” 1989 – "Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma" → "Union of Myanmar“

History and Background (2/2) 1990 – Free elections, National League for Democracy (NLD) wins majority, Junta refused to step down 1991 – Aung San Suu Kyi awarded Nobel Peace Prize, under house arrest 1997 – Admitted into Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2007 – Saffron Revolution 2008 – Cyclone Nargis

Human Rights Record - Since military take over, Myanmar under constant insurgency - Harsh crackdowns by military government - Continued human rights abuses ∙ Child soldier, forced removal, denied citizenship, rape, etc. - Annual adoption of UN resolutions condemning the acts of abuses - Killing of monks during ‘Saffron Revolution’ 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index Transparency International

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Cyclone Nargis May 2 nd – 3 rd - Worst cyclone recorded on the basin mph (190 kph) winds and a 12 ft (3.5 meter) sea surge. - Estimated damage at US$10billion - Affected 2.4 million people, estimated 130,366 people dead or missing (OCHA estimation) - Destroyed fertile Irrawaddy Delta area known as “Rice Bowl” - Affected 65% of country’s rice paddies (UNFAO)

Timeline of Events May 5 th Government of Myanmar briefs resident diplomats - ‘ Aid will be welcomed by the government’ Immediately after the cyclone - International community, regional government and the UN offers aid → ‘National Natural Disaster Preparedness Central Committee’ May 6 th Human toll reaches more than 22,000

Timeline of Events (continued) May 12 th First US aid supply / Meeting of ASEAN, World Bank, OCHA -US Government / Military officials accompany first C-130 planes into Myanmar May 8 th – 9 th Thai Mediation - Myanmar agrees on the basis of ‘no strings attached’ May 7 th First consideration of Responsibility to Protect - France initially invokes Responsibility to Protect to provide humanitarian assistance

Timeline of Events (continued) May 13 th Consideration of Responsibility to Protect by Great Britain - Responsibility to Protect should be considered for natural disasters May 19 th Myanmar Agrees to ASEAN-ERAT -Myanmar agrees to aid led by ASEAN-ERAT under condition of not politicizing aid May 16 th ‘Crime Against Humanity’ - Myanmar state television reports 77,738 dead, 55,917 missing

Timeline of Events (continued) May 23 rd UN officials visit Myanmar - Myanmar promises ‘all’ aid workers will be allowed in July 2008 Advances in relief and reconstruction efforts -UN Humanitarian Relief Coordinator, Sir John Holmes reports efforts are on track May 25th Tripartite Core Group - Myanmar Gov’t, ASEAN, UN forms the Tripartite group

Key Aspects / Turning Points (1/2) Western Rhetoric Regarding Responsibility to Protect - Great Britain, France, other Western nations consider Responsibility to Protect - Expanding range of Responsibility to Protect to ‘Natural Disasters’ - Propels ASEAN Nations to act – most skeptical and fearful of Responsibility to Protect ∙ Initial actions by Thai (May 8 th ), followed by ASEAN (ASEAN-ERAT) ∙ Also affected Myanmar Government to act

Key Aspects / Turning Points (2/2) Decision of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to intervene - Assumed role of facilitator between Myanmar and the West - First deployment of ASEAN Emergency Rapid Assessment Team (ERAT) - Through high-level discussions on May 12, May 19, decision made for ASEAN-ERAT to lead in aid coordination - Myanmar accepts ASEAN assistance due to relative trust in the organization

Failures of the Burmese government Inadequate warning Delay in aid delivery intensified a natural disaster into a man-made disaster Rejection of media coverage

Failures of the International Community

Missed Opportunities Precedents “sovereignty”? Responsibility to Protect Definition of “disaster” – “hazard” (natural) versus “vulnerabilities” (human)