Offbeat
Burma: Human Rights Can’t Wait
None Of Us Are Free
Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. On Friday May 2, 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit southwestern Burma with winds at speeds of 120 mph. Whole towns and villages have been wiped out by the cyclone, which roared for ten hours, tearing off roofs, uprooting trees and destroying power lines. This is the worst natural disaster in Asia since the boxing day Tsunami in 2004. It has been hard to estimate the death toll because it has been impossible to get access to some of the worst hit areas- but as of right the numbers range from 80,000 to 130,000 dead, with hundreds of thousand missing and millions displaced. It is now five months since the deadly Cyclone Nargis struck Burma, emergency relief and early recovery assistance is still a far cry in many places.
It is one of the most forgotten areas of the world; a place where mass displacement, forced labor, rape, torture, and all forms of persecution are a common reality. The destruction of over 3200 villages has led to the worst humanitarian situation in Asia. It has been hard to estimate the death toll because it has been impossible to get access to some of the worst hit areas- but as of right the numbers range from 80,000 to 130,000 dead, with hundreds of thousand missing and millions displaced. To learn more about the disaster and how you can help to the victims visit the official US Campaign for Burma website
“Burma Viral” is a video collaboration between the Burma Arts Board and MTV, and was created by Emmy Award-winning creative production company Shilo and Ogilvy & Mather Amsterdam which encourages people to head to NoneOfUsAreFree.org and help to the victims.
