Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on Myanmar
Encyclopedia
Official reports from the government of Myanmar
(Burma) cite a death toll of 90 due to the tsunami
caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
on 26 December 2004. However, some estimates put the toll at between 400 to 600. 30,000 citizens of Myanmar were estimated to be in need of shelter, food and water, and 788 buildings were reported damaged and destroyed.
An NGO estimated that 2,500 citizens of Myanmar based in Phang Nga Province
, Thailand
during the event may have been killed, and that 7,000 Burmese were still unaccounted for. Many of these missing were, however, not presumed to be dead. Many refugees fled to Thailand's interior after the destruction, or were deported or chased back into the hills that divide the countries by Thai authorities.
Although loss of life and property in Myanmar was suspected to be higher than official reports suggest, loss of life was not as high as in neighbouring Thailand
due to various factors, most significantly the numerous islands off the coast of Myanmar which served to dissipate the force of the tsunami, a rocky shoreline, and the position of the coastline. Also contributing is the fact that it is less developed than neighboring Thailand; international disapproval of the Burmese military regime
has prevented the country from building a successful tourism
industry.
A Yangon
-based representative from the United Nations
stated, "Conjecture fuelled by the experiences in neighbouring countries created a major and dangerous disconnect with reality". This assessment was also corroborated by satellite
photographs according to Colin Powell
.
Myanmar does not allow journalists into the country and maintains a strong hold on information
disseminated in its state-run
newspapers - some of which did not acknowledge the tsunami had hit. Burma had refused foreign aid, insisting it was capable to cope by itself. This policy has created a difficult environment to gauge the lives affect by the tsunami.
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
(Burma) cite a death toll of 90 due to the tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
on 26 December 2004. However, some estimates put the toll at between 400 to 600. 30,000 citizens of Myanmar were estimated to be in need of shelter, food and water, and 788 buildings were reported damaged and destroyed.
An NGO estimated that 2,500 citizens of Myanmar based in Phang Nga Province
Phang Nga Province
Phang Nga is one of the southern provinces of Thailand, on the shore to the Andaman Sea. Neighboring provinces are Ranong, Surat Thani and Krabi. To the south is the Phuket province, but without land boundary to Phang Nga....
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
during the event may have been killed, and that 7,000 Burmese were still unaccounted for. Many of these missing were, however, not presumed to be dead. Many refugees fled to Thailand's interior after the destruction, or were deported or chased back into the hills that divide the countries by Thai authorities.
Although loss of life and property in Myanmar was suspected to be higher than official reports suggest, loss of life was not as high as in neighbouring Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
due to various factors, most significantly the numerous islands off the coast of Myanmar which served to dissipate the force of the tsunami, a rocky shoreline, and the position of the coastline. Also contributing is the fact that it is less developed than neighboring Thailand; international disapproval of the Burmese military regime
State Peace and Development Council
The State Peace and Development Council was the official name of the military regime of Burma , which seized power in 1988. On 30 March 2011, Senior General Than Shwe signed a decree to officially dissolve the Council....
has prevented the country from building a successful tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
industry.
A Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
-based representative from the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
stated, "Conjecture fuelled by the experiences in neighbouring countries created a major and dangerous disconnect with reality". This assessment was also corroborated by satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
photographs according to Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
.
Myanmar does not allow journalists into the country and maintains a strong hold on information
Censorship in Burma
Censorship in Burma refers to government policies in controlling and regulating certain information, particularly on religious, ethnic, political, and moral grounds...
disseminated in its state-run
State media
State media or state-owned media is media for mass communication which is ultimately controlled and/or funded by the state. These news outlets may be the sole media outlet or may exist in competition with privately-controlled media.-Overview:...
newspapers - some of which did not acknowledge the tsunami had hit. Burma had refused foreign aid, insisting it was capable to cope by itself. This policy has created a difficult environment to gauge the lives affect by the tsunami.