Myanmar Spring Chronicle – September 13, Scene
(MoeMaKa – September 14, 2024)
A Divided Nation and Natural Disasters
The remnants of a powerful typhoon from the South China Sea swept across East Asia, bringing heavy rainstorms to Laos, Thailand, and eastern Myanmar, particularly in Shan State, Mandalay Region, and Bago Region. This resulted in one of the worst floods in six or seven decades. Continuous heavy rainfall starting around September 10 led to sudden surges in water levels, destroying homes, claiming lives, and sweeping away livestock. The death toll gradually increased as rivers and streams overflowed, especially affecting the elderly and children, who struggled to evacuate in time. As the devastation unfolded, reports of fatalities began to surface on social media and in news outlets, revealing the full extent of the flood’s impact.
Initially, on September 11 and 12, only a few dozen deaths were reported, but within a day or two, the number of fatalities reached the hundreds in some townships. In towns like Tachileik in Myanmar’s far east, lives were lost due to the floods, and reports from flooded villages in Yameithin, Pyawbwe, Tatkon, and Pyinmana townships began to emerge, with casualties rising into the hundreds in some areas. Even the mountain resort town of Kalaw saw an unexpected death toll exceeding one hundred. These figures represent just a fraction of the disaster’s true scale, and the death toll is expected to rise in the coming days.
The large number of fatalities could have been reduced had proper advance warnings and evacuation plans been in place. In some cases, local authorities made efforts to relocate people, but Myanmar’s preparedness for such situations was insufficient, leading to tragic consequences.
Though the loss of lives due to natural disasters differs in nature from those caused by armed conflicts or political violence, the value of a human life remains the same. It is vital to set aside political ideologies and reflect on this shared human tragedy.
As war continues in the country, and people already face the hardships of displacement, preparations for disaster prevention and response were delayed or inadequate. In northern Shan State, where many are already displaced by conflict, towns like Naungshwe, Kalaw, and Aungban, along with parts of eastern Shan State, were hit by the floods. Some refugees even lost their lives due to the floods, as reported in various news outlets.
Similar tragedies were reported among displaced populations in Karenni State, Karen State, and the areas bordering Bago Region, where the flood caused further loss of life and property damage.
It’s clear that the military regime failed to provide adequate warnings, preventive measures, or evacuations. The public, already burdened by years of conflict, is limited in their ability to help one another, not only due to political restrictions and curfews but also because of the divided nature of the society, with strained relations between different ethnic and religious groups.
Natural disasters don’t discriminate based on politics or ethnic divisions. The floods, landslides, and increasingly severe storms are consequences of the broader environmental destruction happening around the world. In Myanmar, a country already fractured by internal conflict, the impact of these disasters will undoubtedly be felt more acutely than in neighboring nations.