Death toll of 10,000 predicted in Burma cylone
Updated
It was always going to be difficult to get accurate estimates of the death toll from Cyclone Nargis - but everyone has been shocked at the extent of the horror.
Presenter: Karen Percy
Speaker: Jens Orback, Former Minister For Democracy-turned-journalist who was caught in Cyclone Nargis; Soe Aung, with The National Council Of The Union Of Burma, an opposition roup based in Bangkok
KAREN PERCY: Jens Orback had a narrow escape during his visit to Rangoon.
JENS ORBACK: From my hotel, the ceiling in the hotel fell down, it was a big bang. And then outside the trees were falling down, electricity went out, things from the roof came down and it was really old trees that had been standing there for a hundred years so people that I talked to said they had never experienced anything like this.
KAREN PERCY: On Saturday morning the swede a former minister for democracy-turned-journalist found himself caught in the ravages of cyclone Nargis.
He was shocked by what he saw and what he didn't.
JENS ORBACK: I was very surprised because the first day there were no militaries, no police, no firemen on the street.
KAREN PERCY: Burma's military regime has been criticised not just for being slow to respond to the crisis but for failing to adequately prepare for the cyclone despite days of warnings that it was on its way.
Now with thousands dead, yet more homeless and the nation on the verge of a possible humanitarian crisis the generals are digging in their heels.
Despite a climate of chaos and confusion they've said they will push ahead with Saturday's constitutional vote, the country's first since the ill-fated election of 1990.
Back then democracy hero, Aung San Suu Kyi, won convincingly.
But these days she's under house detention with little chance to influence this vote and no hope of contesting the next round of general elections set down for 2010.
Many people are questioning the junta's priorities at this point
Soe Aung is with the national council of the union of Burma, an opposition group based in Bangkok.
SOE AUNG: The devastation of the cyclone must be really intolerable for the people and I think they should address that need of the people by setting up a rescue centre and rehabilitation centres and anything like that, instead of pushing ahead with the referendum.
