A month after Cyclone Nargis devastated the Irrawaddy delta, the Prome-based Light Infantry Division (LID) 66's 8 battalions, later reinforced by another 6 battalions from Inndaing (Rangoon)-based LID 11, are still rummaging through the cyclone-hit area for the remains of the dead and also getting on with the unpleasant job of cremating them, according to a source close of the Burmese Army.
"This indicates that the death toll is much higher than the official figure (133,000) given," he said.
The Bassein-based Southwest Region Command, whose units had been despatched to Tenasserim, Mon, Karen and Shan areas to fight the rebels there, was caught unawares and there was nothing it could do to meet the catastrophe head on.
The LID 66 temporarily stationed in Rangoon, to deal with anticipated public protests, being the only unit available was therefore ordered to move in.
The local police force and their families were also among those who had evidently borne the brunt of the cyclone. Many police officers posted in far-flung corners of Burma had applied for and were given permission to return home to look for their family members. The police department has also been asking people to make "police only" contributions.
"In fact, there are so many groups going around the country and scrounging for cyclone donations that even ordinary people are getting suspicious, according to the reports from Kayah (Karenni) and Shan states," he said.
He added that the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), having brought the situation under control, was still worried about another countrywide unrest, as shown by continuous reports on:
- Field trips by senior commanders to supervise increased acreages in areas untouched by Nargis
- Collection of statistics with regards to existing amount of rice in the hands of rice traders and farmers
- Issuing directives to inquire into daily commodity prices and what the people are saying about the economic situation in general
According to a Reuters report, on June 4, Hiroyuki Konuma from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had said that 60 per cent of the 1. 3 million hectares (3.2 million acres) of paddy had been affected. Out of which some 16 per cent or 200,000 hectares (500,000 acres) were damaged.
Sean Tunnel, an Australian specialist, had been more severe in his comments. He had said Burma could shift from being a rice exporter to an importer, according to the Asia Times, June 2.
