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The Social, Political and Humanitarian Impact of Burma's Cyclone Nargis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2025

Donald M. Seekins
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This report provides background information and analysis concerning the humanitarian crisis caused by Cyclone Nargis when it passed through the densely populated Irrawaddy Delta and Burma's largest city Rangoon (Yangon) on May 2-3, 2008. One of the largest natural disasters in recent history, it caused the death of as many as 130,000 people (the official figure on May 16 was 78,000) and resulted in between one and two million people losing their homes and property.

Type
Research Article
Information
Asia-Pacific Journal , Volume 6 , Issue 5 , May 2008 , e20
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2008

References

Notes

[1] On that protest, see Human Rights Watch. Crackdown: Repression of the 2007 Popular Protests in Burma. New York: Human Rights Watch, 2007.

[2] Nargis meaning “daffodil” in Urdu, is described as “the world's fifth largest natural disaster in four decades.” Denis Gray. “Myanmar set for political, economic shocks after greatest natural disaster.” Associated Press, Bangkok (May 11, 2008).

[3] “Cyclone Nargis” in Wikipedia; “Mapping the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis,” The New York Times, May 8, 2008.

[4] Maurice Collis. Into Hidden Burma. London: Faber & Faber, 1953: p. 61.

[5] Hla Tun Aung. Myanmar: the Study of Processes and Patterns. Rangoon: National Centre for Human Resources Development, 2003: p. 610.

[6] Wai Moe. “The Irrawaddy Delta: before the Cyclone.” The Irrawaddy on-line, May 10 2008.

[7] “Burma cyclone raises rice price.” BBC News on-line, May 9, 2008.

[8] Collis, Hidden Burma, p. 64.

[9] Hla Tun Aung, Myanmar, p. 611.

[10] Wai Moe, “The Irrawaddy Delta.”

[11] For example, many Burman residents of Pyinmana in centrally located Mandalay Division were forcibly relocated in order to make way for construction of the SPDC's new capital of Naypyidaw in 2005.

[12] “Cyclone toll rises to almost 78,000.” Associated Press. MSNBC.Com, May 16, 2008, accessed 05-17-2008. The British government gave an “unofficial estimate” of as many as 217,000 dead or missing.

[13] “Burma eases restrictions on aid.” BBC News, May 11, 2008.

[14] Amitav Ghosh. “Death Comes Ashore.” The New York Times, May 10, 2008.

[15] Ibid.

[16] “Mapping the Aftermath of Typhoon Nargis,” New York Times, May 8, 2008.

[17] Associated Press. “‘Race against time’ to avoid disease disaster.” MSNBC.Com, May 10, 2008.

[18] Michael Casey. “Before cyclone hit, Burmese delta was stripped of defenses.” International Herald Tribune, May 9, 2008.

[19] “Myanmar exports rice as cyclone victims struggle.” Los Angeles Times, May 10, 2008.

[20] “240 People Dead; Number of Dead, Injured Expected to Climb.” The Irrawaddy online, May 4, 2008.

[21] NHK News broadcast, May 11, 2008 (evening).

[22] Aung Hla Tun. “Agencies report aid deliveries to Myanmar ‘minimal.‘” Reuters, in the International Herald Tribune, May 12, 2008.

[23] BBC News telecast, May 11, 2008, 22:00.

[24] “Myanmar exports rice as cyclone victims struggle.” Los Angeles Times, May 10, 2008.

[25] “Myanmar junta still blocking cyclone aid.” International Herald Tribune, May 11, 2008, accessed 05-12-2008.

[26] These slogans still appear prominently in government publications and large billboards, often written in both Burmese and English.

[27] Brian McCartan. “Why Myanmar's junta steals foreign aid.” Asia Times on-line, May 14, 2008.

[28] Los Angeles Times, “Myanmar exports rice as cyclone victims struggle”; Associated Press. “Cyclone victims getting spoiled food.” MSNBC.com –on line, May 13, 2008.

[29] By contrast, the 1988 protests were suppressed by the army (Tatmadaw) and special Riot Police (Lon Htein).

[30] James C. Scott. The Moral Economy of the Peasant: Rebellion and Subsistence in Southeast Asia. New Haven: Yale University, 1976: pp. 87, 88.

[31] B. R. Pearn. A History of Rangoon. Rangoon: American Baptist Mission Press, 1939: p. 26.

[32] Aung Zaw. “Shwedagon and the Generals.” The Irrawaddy magazine, vol. 7: no. 4 (May 1999): pp. 12-14.

[33] Ingrid Jordt. Burma's Mass Lay Meditation Movement: Buddhism and the Cultural Construction of Power. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2007: pp. 188-189.

[34] “Rangoon struggles to survive.” The Irrawaddy on-line, May 12, 2008, accessed 05-12-2008: “.…more than 1,000 precious stones – jade, rubies, emeralds and sapphires – fell off the golden pagoda.

[35] Ed Cropley. “‘Bad karma’ behind Myanmar cyclone?” The Japan Times Weekly, May 17, 2008: p. 5.

[36] “Karma in Buddhism.” Wikipedia on-line encyclopedia, accessed 05-18-2008.