In an act of benevolence, the two main ethnic Kachin ceasefire groups in Northern Burma are supporting victims of Cyclone Nargis in Irrawaddy River Delta in southern Burma, insiders said.

The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the New Democratic Army – Kachin (NDA-K) who recently supported the junta's referendum on the draft constitution on May 10, have donated millions of Kyat to the victims, officials from the two organizations told KNG.

NDA-K leader Zahkung Ting Ying said, the organization not only donated 30 million Kyats (est. US $ 2,667) giving into the demand of Maj-Gen. Ohn Myint, the junta's commander of Kachin State on May 10 but also directly supported victims as of May 18 through the NDA-K liaison office in Rangoon, the former capital of Burma.

Basic food, water, clothes and medical supplies worth about 10 million Kyats have already been sent directly to the cyclone victims. The two organisations have plans to provide aid up to 30 million Kyats, Zahkung Ting Ying said.

At the same time, the largest Kachin ceasefire, KIO is collecting funds in its controlled areas in Laiza and Mai Ja Yang on the Sino-Burma border in Kachin State in Northern Burma, KIO officials in Laiza told KNG today.

The fund will help both cyclone victims in Irrawaddy Delta and the victims of neighbouring China's earthquake-hit Sichuan province, according to KIO officials.

On May 24, the KIO collected Yuan 151,739 (US $ 21,677) and 4,609,900 Kyat (US $ 4,097) for the victims of both countries in a public donation organised in Sinpraw Majoi Manau compound in Laiza between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. but the donation has not been made yet, the KIO officials added.

Burma's Cyclone Nargis left 78,000 dead while China's Sichuan earthquake killed 68,109, according to the two governments' official figures.