Atrocities in Myanmar!

This is not a tsunami related post but I believe strongly that each and every citizen of the world has a right to democracy, regardless of nationality, religion or social standing. Hence I'm putting up this post to let the world know of the atrocities that has befallen the people of Myanmar(formerly known as Burma) which was brought about by the nation's Junta(Myanmar's military ruling party).

In the past week there has been a peaceful uprising in which pro-democratic demonstrators onsisting of Myanmarian citizens and Buddhist monks took to the roads of the capitol city Yangon in thousands protesting for democracy in the poverty stricken nation of Myanmar. The military run Junta instead of finding a peaceful solution to the protests shocked the world by firing on them with automatic rifles! Killing their citizens and even monks! Buddhist monks are the epitome of peace and morality in this country and even such peaceful folks have been driven to protest against Myanmar's 45 years of military rule and hardship, and this rare and peaceful protest is reciprocated by the government with bullets and batons instead.

I urge the people of the world to open their eyes to these cruel atrocities brought upon the nation and people of Myanmar by it's own government, in hope that the world leaders of all countries in the world will unite and quickly work together to put an immediate stop to this sickening and blasphemous atrocity!



The Junta government has locked down all modes of telecommunication in the country but a few bloggers have managed to retrieve information and images of the true situation over there. Please read more about it at the following blogs :

dathana.blogspot.com

ko-htike.blogspot.com

NEWS CONFIRMED : Tsunami warning issued after 7.9 magnitude quake off Sumatra

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a tsunami alert after a powerful earthquake struck off Sumatra, Indonesia at 7.10pm.

The department has advised people in the northern states of Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Penang to move away from beaches as a safety precaution.

Tremors were felt in parts of the west coast of peninsular Malaysia when the quake struck.

It was centered at 105 km southwest of Bengkulu, Sumatra and 718km southwest of Johor Bahru, at a depth of 15.6km.

Malaysian is adequately equipped to detect a tsunami and issue a warning within an hour before it reaches the shore.

The system is based on two buoys - one in the Andaman Sea near Rondo Island in Indonesia and the other in the South China Sea near Pulau Layang-layang in Sabah.

Malaysians will receive notice of evacuation via television, radio, satellite broadcast and SMS within 15 minutes of data transmission from the buoys.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre had earlier issued a tsunami alert for the entire Indian Ocean region after the quake.

Source : The STAR

TSUNAMI ALERT!!!

A Tsunami Alert has been issued following a 7.9 quake in Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia.

People living in Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Penang are advised to move away from beaches.

This alert is pending official confirmation but comes from a reliable source at 7.59pm, today, 12th Sept 2007.

Location of Bengkulu is coloured in light green in the map below.


Map Source : www.wikipedia.com

Price of new low-cost homes too steep for tsunami victims

PENANG, MALAYSIA : The tsunami victims in Penang are unable to move into their new homes because the price is not right, said MP Datuk Seri Chia Kwang Chye. The state government had set a ceiling price of RM42,000 per unit of low-cost home but the company engaged by the Federal Government to build the houses for tsunami victims was quoting RM52,000 per unit.

Chia said the state government was not agreeable to the price quoted by the company. �The state has appealed to the Federal Government to look into the matter urgently as the tsunami victims need to move into permanent homes,� Chia said.

The tsunami victims who lost their homes in Dec 2004 have been living in transit longhouses since more than two years ago. The victims have been complaining that the transit homes have started falling apart with cracks and leakages. Chia said the housing problems must be settled soon as the new homes would also fall apart if left unattended for a long time.

Source : The Star

Tsunami 26th December 2006 - recalling the days that followed that bewildering and chaotic day

Date: Dec. 26, 2004

* Tzu Chi volunteers were unable to enter the disaster areas due to a temporary closure ordered by the local police squad for safety concerns.
* Later that evening, Tzu Chi volunteers went to the morgue to help the families of the victims. They served hot meals and provided care and emergency cash to them.
* Number of households helped: 14.
* Amount of hot meal served: 320 bags.
* Number of volunteers participated: 60.


Date: Dec. 27, 2004

* Some volunteers started entering the disaster areas in the morning, while others were preparing hot meals, emergency cash and relief goods.
* Volunteers reported that some of the victims needed help to clean up their houses. Ten volunteers participated in the cleaning effort and cleaned two households.
* At noon, volunteers spread out into different disaster area and started the relief efforts by disbributing relief goods at a designated shelter amd making door-to-door distribution.
* Number of households helped: Tanjung Tokong (57), Permatang Damar Laut (35), Bagan Teluk Kumbar (30), Pulau Betong (40), Kuala Muda (273).
* Medical staff affiliated with the Tzu Chi International Medical Association offered free clinic services to the victims at the relief shelters in Tanjung Tokong and Kuala Muda.
* Number of victims received medical attention: 28 people.
* Households received relief goods: 435.
* Hot meal served: 1,260 bags.
* Number of volunteers participated: 300

Date: Dec. 28, 2004
Methods of relief efforts: 1) relief distribution at a designated shelter; 2) door-to-door distribution.

* Number of households helped: Kuala Jalan Baru (36), Permatang Damar Laut (16), Sungai Pinang (50), Bagan Jermal(83), Tanjung Tokong (20), Tanjung Bungah (88), Kuala Muda (295).
* Another group of volunteers headed to the disaster areas to clean up the trash and debris. Later, they were joined by the relief team and transported a total of seven truckloads of trash.
* Medical staff went to the relief shelter in Kuala Muda to provide free medical care.
* Number of victims received medical care: 100 people.
* Households received relief goods: 588.
* Hot meal served: 690 bags.
* Number of volunteers participated: 200.

Date: Dec. 29, 2004
Methods of relief efforts: 1) relief distribution at a designated shelter; 2) door-to-door distribution.

* Number of households helped: relief goods delivered in Tanjong Bungah of Penang (66) and Bagan Jelma (5). Relief goods were distributed in Kuala Teriang of Langkawi (210).
* Volunteers continued the cleaning effort after the relief was finished. They provided cleaning effort in the same disaster area as yesterday. Another eight truckloads of trash were transported today.
* Forty-five Tzu Chi volunteers from Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Kedah, Johor and Langkawi came to the Langkawi relief shelter to provide relief goods to the victims.
* Tzu Chi volunteers were able to identify residents who needed special care and help in the Tanjung Bungah disaster area with the help of the village's top official. The volunteers collected the case data in preparation for subsequent post-disaster care.
* Hot meals were served to the victims without hot food in Bagan Jelma of Penang.
* Households received relief goods: 281.
* Hot meal served: 24 bags.
* Number of volunteers participated: 77.

Date: Dec. 30, 2004
Methods of relief efforts: distributing relief materials at a designated shelter.

* Number of households helped: Tanjung Bungah of Penang (13), Bukit Malut of Langkawi (330), and Sungain Bakau (51).
* Twenty-eight Tzu Chi volunteers continued the house cleaning and gave personal care in Kampung Nelayan of Tanjung Bungah. Tzu Chi volunteers also teamed up with a local Christian group to clean up the disaster areas. In the afternoon, 18 volunteers took over and continued the cleaning effort.
* More than 60 volunteers from Alor Setar, Jitra, Butterworth and Penang joined to help cleaning the victims� houses in Kuala Muda. A total of five houses belonged to 10 elderly people and a kindergarten were cleaned by the volunteers. Volunteers were ordered to leave the area later by the police due to another possible tsunami attack.
* A Tzu Chi social worker and 10 volunteers provided care and relief goods to the families of the killed victims. Seven households were visited and four households received relief goods.
* Two rounds of relief goods distribution and free medical clinic were provided in Langkawi today -- in Bukit Malut in the morning and in Sungai Bakau in the afternoon.
* A total of 45 Tzu Chi volunteers and social workers from Penang, Kuala Lumpar, Kedah, Johor and Langkawi participated in today�s relief effort.
* About 200 people came to the free clinic for medical treatments. Two doctors, two nurses, one pharmacist and four volunteers helped in the free clinic.
* Number of Households received relief goods: 39
* Number of volunteers participated: 151.

Date: Dec. 31, 2004

* A total of 22 volunteers participated in today�s cleaning up effort in Tanjong Bunga (including the beach area). Tzu Chi volunteers also provided hot meals (170 boxes) to these victims in two relief shelters, delivered relief goods to one household and reported five cases needing for further help.
* Tzu Chi social workers and volunteers continued to provide in-home care to the families of the deceased victims and delivered relief goods to them based on the information from two hospitals. Among the six families they visited, one lost five children when the tsunami hit. Both parents of that family were too devastated to take care of their own injuries. Tzu Chi volunteers provided loving care and would continue to offer their care and support.
* Households received relief goods: 7.
* Hot meal served: 170 boxes (Tajung Tokong: 150 boxes, Bagan Jelma: 20 boxes).
* Number of volunteers participated: 27.

Date: Jan.1, 2005

* A total of 218 Tzu Chi volunteers headed to the disaster areas in Pulau Betong in the morning to help community cleaning up. They also cleaned seven houses damaged by the tsunami. The cleaning work continued until 4:30 p.m.
* Besides Tzu Chi volunteers, there were many other people from local businesses and organizations joining the cleaning up effort during the New Year�s break. The day's volunteers included 218 from Tzu Chi, 150 from Intel, 80 from PPH, 30 from BLIA, 15 from Four-Wheel Drive Team, 3 from Inventec, and 50 others.
* Together with everyone�s cleaning effort, a total of 32 truckloads of trash were transported out from the tsunami-affected area.

Good To Be Back

Well it seems that Blogger/Google finally manage to restore this blog to the original, with all the original tsunami articles and all.

It is really amazing what the people in Google can do. Well, now all we have to do is to add new content to this already magnificent blog.

I for one would like to feature the tourist destinations of both Penang and Thailand. This is to bring more awareness towards these beautifully restored tourist destinations that is already known the world over.

Here are some pictures of famous places in both Penang and Thailand.