By Joshua Carroll
YANGON, Myanmar
Myanmar’s government admitted Tuesday that its response to devastating floods that have claimed dozens of lives has been “weak”, and appealed for help from foreign countries to supply aid to the hundreds of thousands of people affected.
The state-backed Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper, considered by many to be a mouthpiece for the government, quoted Information Minister Ye Htut as saying relief efforts have “been limited in the face of such a huge disaster”.
“The government’s weak response to the disaster led to misunderstandings about evacuation efforts,” the front-page report added.
President Thein Sein’s administration has been widely criticized on social media for failing to help the victims of the floods, which have claimed at least 47 lives, a toll that is expected to rise as rescue teams reach more remote areas.
A notice issued in the same newspaper appealed for donor countries to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and provided a list of emails and phone numbers.
The former military regime showed a drastically different attitude in 2008 when Cyclone Nargis struck, with paranoid and isolationist generals turning aid agencies away. The disaster claimed over 100,000 lives.
This summer’s floods are likely to galvanize public opinion in the run up to a general election scheduled for Nov. 8. It will be the first national poll contested by the opposition National League for Democracy Party since 1990.
Thein Sein’s reformist government took over from the ruling junta following a flawed election in 2010 and is staffed with retired generals.
The Union Election Commission said Tuesday it would extend the deadline for parties to submit their lists of candidates for the poll because of delays caused by the floods.
The government also said Tuesday that parliament would be postponed rather than opening on Aug. 10 as scheduled, because MPs were busy with flood relief work in their constituencies.
