Mizzima News - Than Shwe and team to tour cyclone-hit Irrawaddy delta

Mizzima News - Than Shwe and team to tour cyclone-hit Irrawaddy delta
Tuesday, 23 December 2008 19:18

New Delhi (Mizzima) - Several ministers and businessmen have reportedly rushed to the cyclone-hit Irrawaddy delta in preparation of welcoming Burma's military Chief Snr. Gen Than Shwe and his team, who will be touring Rangoon and the Irrawaddy divisions in end December, during a holiday trip.

A source in Naypyitaw, Burma's new jungle capital, said Than Shwe along with a team comprising Thura Shwe Mann, Prime Minister Thein Sein and secretary (1) Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo arrived in Rangoon on Monday and will visit cyclone-hit townships in Rangoon on Wednesday.

Than Shwe along with his team on Wednesday are to tour Daedeye, Kun Chan Kone, and Kyaitlatt townships in Rangoon division to inspect recovery and relief work in cyclone ravaged areas.

Than Shwe is scheduled to head for Ngwe Saung beach in Irrawaddy division on holiday with his family, the source said.

But from December 27 to 28, Than Shwe, will make a second trip to townships in Irrawaddy division including Pyapone, Bogale, Mawlamyinekyun, Ngaputaw, and Laputta.

Meanwhile, Than Shwe's planned trip to the cyclone hit areas, have caused panic among several ministers, who were assigned to look after the recovery work in Rangoon and Irrawaddy division along with the junta's business cronies.

The source said, several ministers holding portfolios including Railways, Forestry, Hotel & Tourism, and Sports as well as the junta's business cronies such as Htoo Trading, Max Myanmar, Asia World, Eden Myanmar, Yuzana, and Dagon, have rushed to the Irrawaddy Delta to "prepare" the sites for Than Shwe's visit.

"There has been a lot of last minute preparations in villages that were ordered to be reconstructed like painting of fences, cleaning up the grounds and renting of houses to prove that cyclone victims have benefitted from the government allotted recovery work," the source said.

Companies have brought back many of their tractors, bull-dozers, road rollers and several trucks to show that work is still going on in the cyclone ravaged areas. But the source said, almost all the companies have pulled themselves out of the area, and have even sold out houses, which were meant for cyclone victims.

"All the ministers are trying their best to lie and show that the recovery work is effective. Some have even sold off the houses built for cyclone victims and some have rented them off. And the new villages also look like destroyed villages, so they are getting it repainted," the source said.

"Currently they [ministers and companies] are patching up the road to Kun Chan Kone as Than Shwe will be visiting the area tomorrow [December 24]," the source added.

The source said, Than Shwe and his team wants to see the cyclone shelters that are included in the recovery and emergency projects, but since the ministers have not constructed any shelters, they could only make a power-point presentation.

However, with Than Shwe and his team travelling by helicopters, the ministers and businessmen are relieved as they only need to make a show and do not have to prove real work has been done, the source added.

"Than Shwe knows too well that it was impossible to build cyclone shelters and roads to block another wave surge, the ministers have built a pile of mud alongside the coast, which looks like a high road from the helicopter. But it will be gone as the rain starts," the source added.

Despite all the patchwork, Than Shwe and his team should be able to figure out the extent of recovery work that has been done if they are seriously surveying, the source said.

"But the problem is that they [Than Shwe] is visiting the areas for namesake, just along his way for a holiday at Tayza's resort in Ngwe Saung," the source said, referring to Tayza, the junta's biggest crony and owner of Htoo Trading company.

Written by Mungpi