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FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1527
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 2411
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 5110
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1712

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 005564 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREF TH BM
SUBJECT: EASTERN BURMA: GRIM FINDINGS ON HEALTH AND HUMAN 
RIGHTS 
 
 
BANGKOK 00005564  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  The findings of a recent survey of health indicators in 
eastern Burma reveal a severe health crises made worse by 
continuing conflict and widespread human rights abuses.  On 
September 7, the Back Pack Health Worker Team (BPHWT), 
chaired by Dr. Cynthia Maung, released their report entitled: 
"Chronic Emergency: Health and Human Rights in Eastern 
Burma."  The report uses data collected in 2004 to 
demonstrate a direct link between human rights abuses and the 
worsening state of public health in eastern Burma.  (Note: 
BPHWT was established in 1998 by health workers in eastern 
Burma. It is a multi-ethnic organization of mobile medical 
teams working in conflict-affected to provide and promote 
primary health care.  End note.) 
 
¶2. The survey was conducted among 2,000 households throughout 
Kayah State, Karen State, Mon State and Tenasserim Division. 
According to Dr. Voravit Suwanvanichkij, a researcher with 
the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at Johns 
Hopkins University, this report represents the first ever 
attempt to collect statistics on infant, child and maternal 
mortality in this region.  The findings show the grim impact 
of the regime's disinvestment in public health combined with 
five decades of civil conflict, widespread poverty, and a 
dearth of skilled health care professionals in the region. 
 
Dismal Mortality Rates Resulting from Preventable Diseases 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶3. The basic health indicators presented by BPHWT show a 
striking disparity with official figures (already among the 
worst in Asia).  BPHWT's study found that basic indicators 
such as infant and child mortality in eastern Burma bear 
closer resemblance to countries facing profound humanitarian 
crises such as Somalia or the Democratic Republic of Congo. 
 
¶4. Official statistics provided by UNICEF show that Burma's 
infant mortality rate is 76 (per 1,000 live births) in 2004, 
compared to Thailand's rate of 18.  However, BPHWT found that 
the infant mortality in eastern Burma was 91 in 2004, down 
from 135 in 2002.  Child mortality rates (looking at children 
under five years of age) were even more alarming.  Burma's 
official figures claimed a child mortality rate of 106 (per 
1,000 live births) in 2004.  BPHWT found that the child 
mortality rate in eastern Burma was 221 in 2004.  For 
comparison, UNICEF reports that the 2004 child mortality 
rates in the Thailand, the Democratic Republic of Congo, 
Afghanistan and Somalia were 21, 205, 257, and 225 
respectively. 
 
¶5. The survey found that the most common causes of death 
among children under five years of age are from preventable 
and treatable diseases: malaria (47 percent), diarrhea (22 
percent), and acute respiratory infections (11 percent). 
Additionally, BPHWT reports that 19 percent of children under 
five in the households surveyed had suffered from malaria 
within the preceding two weeks.  Close to 16 percent had 
suffered from diarrhea in the preceding two weeks. 
 
¶6. The study offers similarly shocking findings in the areas 
of maternal mortality rates, access to potable water and 
sanitation, and access to reproductive health services.  Post 
will forward the report in its entirety to the Department. 
 
The Population Pyramid 
---------------------- 
 
¶7.  One of the more disturbing findings in the report is the 
impact of the ongoing crisis on the demographic 
characteristics of eastern Burma.  The population pyramid (a 
graph that show the distribution of population by age and 
sex) reveals a notable absence of males between the ages of 
15-25 years of age.  BPHWT notes the striking similarities 
between the current population pyramid for eastern Burma and 
that of Cambodia in 1980 (shortly after the Khmer Rouge were 
ousted from power).  The report says that similar findings 
are common in populations that have endured prolonged 
conflict.  The population pyramid also points toward another 
worrying statistic.  Among the population surveyed, 44.5 
percent are under the age of 15 (compared to 33 percent 
nationwide in Burma) while only 1.38 percent are over the age 
of 65.  The report claims: "This type of distribution is seen 
in populations with high birthrates, high death rates 
(particularly among infants and children) and a short life 
expectancy. Similar patterns are seen in other least 
developed nations in the world such as Niger, Haiti, and 
Sierra Leone." 
 
Linking the Health Crises to Human Rights Abuses 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
BANGKOK 00005564  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶8. The report states that as the BPHWT conducted its survey, 
it became apparent that the major public health issues facing 
eastern Burma were closely linked to the civil conflict and 
widespread human rights abuses inflicted on the population - 
such as forced relocation.  One field medic observed: "What 
is the point of building latrines and clean water systems if 
the people will be forced to move."  To demonstrate the 
relationship between human rights abuses and public health, 
in 2003 BPHWT began to collect information on human rights 
violations and their resulting impacts on public health. 
BPHWT compiled data on the prevalence of forced labor, forced 
displacement, violence at the hands of the military, and 
destruction/looting of food supplies. 
 
¶9. Based on statistical analyses performed on theseQata, 
BPHWT arrived at some appalling conclusions.  For example, 
children under five in families that had been displaced for 
security reasons at least once in the previous 12 months were 
2.5 times more likely to die than those in families that had 
not been displaced. The report found that the 
destruction/looting of food stores not only increased the 
risk of malnutrition, but made individuals almost five times 
as likely to suffer a landmine injury as they were forced to 
forage for food.  The report found similar links between 
human rights violations and increased risk of contracting 
malaria and other diseases. 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10. While these findings are no great surprise, they 
represent dramatic, systematically collected evidence of the 
extent of the health crises in eastern Burma.  The approach 
taken by BPHWT to quantify the relationship between human 
rights abuses and deteriorating basic health indicators 
provides dramatic and indisputable evidence of the disastrous 
impact of the regime's brutal repression of the ethnic 
populations of eastern Burma. 
BOYCE