VZCZCXRO6163
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH RUEHTRO
DE RUEHGO #0320/01 1270920
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 060920Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7486
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1121
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 4668
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 8209
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5771
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3639
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1523
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RANGOON 000320 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR USAID/OFDA, EAP/MLS, S/ES-O-CMS, DS/CC AND 
DS/IP/EAP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: CYCLONE NARGIS SITREP NO. 2 
 
REF: RANGOON 319 AND PREVIOUS 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU)  The GOB reported Cyclone Nargis killed over 15,000 
persons, most in the Irrawaddy delta region.  Food, water, 
and fuel shortages continued throughout Rangoon. While some 
neighborhoods had limited water service restored, 
government-provided electricity was still out.  There were 
reports of isolated incidents of looting and disturbances in 
the city but security forces moved in to restore order in 
most cases.  Rangoon's main port was completely destroyed and 
authorities said they currently have no plans to rebuild, and 
no equipment to properly dredge it.  Embassy Rangoon received 
half of its requested fuel shipments on May 6 and has 
approximately 12 days of diesel fuel on hand.  We have 
received from Amcit family members in the US a number of 
welfare and whereabouts request, many of whom have been 
located today and confirmed all right.  There have been no 
reports of injuries or deaths among the Amcit community, and 
no requests for any emergency services.  Embassy Rangoon's 
town hall meeting for the off 
icial and non-official Amcit community was well attended. 
The Charge urged Amcits to consider departing the country and 
Consular encouraged all to read the Travel Warning, to use 
newly-installed embassy computer stations for emailing home, 
and to register with the consular section if they have not 
already. 
 
EMBASSY OPERATIONS 
------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU)  STAFFING AND OPERATIONS:  The Embassy operates from 
0800 until 1630 on a liberal leave policy.  The American 
Center will stop its generators on May 7 and will remain 
closed to the public until fuel and manpower resources allow 
it reopen. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  FUEL:  Management reported receiving two of the 
five truckloads of diesel fuel it ordered, each containing 
1,920 gallons.  As of May 6, the Embassy has 31,000 gallons 
of diesel fuel in its storage tanks.  We will shut down the 
American Center and former chancery's generators the morning 
of May 7.  This will save 500 gallons per day.  Once this is 
done, the Mission will consume 2,700 gallons of diesel fuel 
per day (1,100 at the Embassy compound and the remainder in 
vehicles and at staff residences).  At this rate of 
consumption, each truckload of diesel fuel represents 
approximately three quarters of a day's worth of fuel, so our 
current supplies represent approximately 12 days worth of 
consumption (28 days if all fuel is used to run the Embassy 
compound only).  We have ordered five more truckloads of 
diesel for delivery May 7 and have received a commitment for 
two trucks.  All private Embassy homes have full fuel tanks 
which will last an average of three or four days without 
replenishment.  The CMR 
and DCMR have approximately 10 days of fuel.  All three of 
the serviced apartments that house some Embassy staff 
reported fuel shortages and have instituted electricity 
rationing and price increases.  One building announced it 
would increase electricity charges from 8 cents per minute to 
80 cents per minute.  Another announced it had 12 days of 
fuel remaining. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  WATER: Management reported the Embassy has adequate 
water supplies in its wells and can treat and ship potable 
water to all Embassy residences.  All but one Embassy 
residence has a well. 
 
¶5. (SBU)  SECURITY:  RSO reported no American staff were the 
victims of crime since the cyclone struck.  95 percent of the 
local guard force reported for work today.  We have a full 
MSG contingent.  The closure of the American Center to the 
public has allowed RSO to divert three of the five American 
Center guards to other duties.  RSO has posted guards at the 
 
RANGOON 00000320  002 OF 003 
 
 
gas station and to cover a breach in the Embassy compound 
perimeter.  Five Embassy residences have breaches in their 
perimeter walls.  We are operating two mobile patrols per day 
to cover all Embassy residences.  The police have responded 
to our request and sent two officers to guard the front gate 
of the Embassy compound. 
 
¶6. (SBU)  SCHOOLS:  The principal of the International School 
Yangon (ISY) has suspended classes and will close for the 
school year on Tuesday, May 13.  The other two schools, 
Yangon International School and Yangon International 
Education Center also sustained damage and will likely close. 
 
¶7. (SBU)  FLIGHTS:  Thai Airways operated two flights into 
and out of Rangoon today.  So far it has not created a third 
daily flight.  Flights are booked until May 16th.  Silk Air 
operated a flight to Singapore on May 5 and has not announced 
plans to suspend its three-times-a-week service. 
 
¶8. (SBU)  OTHER:  The Embassy's main shipper, Crown 
Shipping's, warehouse was destroyed.  GSO is trying to obtain 
packing materials from Singapore in anticipation of the 
summer transfer season.  We received one chainsaw from 
Bangkok today, and will receive 4 more chainsaws within one 
or two days.  Post has requested 2,000 MREs, and Embassy 
Bangkok will send us batteries. 
 
¶9. (SBU) VISAS: Contrary to U.S. officials' comments to the 
press, the GOB has not refused the visas for our DART team. 
Officials told Charge yesterday that they must seek approval 
from Nay Pyi Taw and could not say whether the visas would be 
granted. 
 
SITUATION ON THE GROUND 
----------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU)  CASUALTIES: The GOB reported Cyclone Nargis killed 
over 15,000 persons.  The worst of the casualties were in the 
Irrawaddy delta region where a 12 foot storm surge hit in the 
middle of the night.  Officials also reported that over 95 
percent of the structures were destroyed in the delta. 
 
¶11. (SBU)  PORT: Econ contacts reported that the Rangoon port 
was completely destroyed.  Numerous structures were destroyed 
and a significant number of ships sunk.  As of May 7, there 
were no shipments of any kind, including food and fuel, into 
or out of the port.  Port Authority officials told our 
contacts they do not have the equipment to repair the port. 
 
¶12. (SBU) FOOD, WATER AND FUEL:  Food, water, and fuel 
shortages continued throughout Rangoon.  While some 
neighborhoods had limited water service restored, 
government-provided electricity was still out.  While our 
contacts reported some markets were stocked, food prices 
remained high and many markets closed out of a fear of 
looting.  The price of eggs had increased 400 percent since 
the storm.  The price of a bottle of water increased from 350 
kyat to 1,000 per 20 liter bottle.  DAO reported there are 
only two CNG stations operating in the city and long lines at 
the gas stations that were open.  Most public transportation 
runs on CNG. 
 
¶13. (SBU)  LAW AND ORDER: There were reports of isolated 
incidents of looting and disturbances in the city but 
security forces moved in to restore order in most cases. 
RSO staff reported security forces moved in to stop physical 
altercations that broke out in some local markets.  A P/E FSN 
reported between 200 and 300 people confronted authorities 
who tried to prevent them from taking water out of a Rangoon 
lake, although they eventually departed without the water. 
 
TOWN HALL AND CONSULAR 
---------------------- 
 
¶14. (SBU) Embassy Rangoon held a Town Hall meeting for 
American Citizens on May 6, over 150 attended.  Charge 
 
RANGOON 00000320  003 OF 003 
 
 
explained that the fuel, water, food and communication 
situation in Rangoon was serious and could get significantly 
worse in the coming weeks as supplies dwindle.  She strongly 
urged all Amcits to seriously consider leaving the country 
until the situation improved, stressing that leaving now in a 
calm manner would be easier than waiting until violence broke 
out.  Consular encouraged all to read the Travel Warning, to 
use newly-installed embassy computer stations for emailing 
home, and to register with the consular section if they have 
not already.  Representatives from three of the international 
schools in Rangoon attended the meeting.  They said that they 
have meetings scheduled today or tomorrow to make definite 
plans for the remainder of the school year, which ends in 
three weeks, but indicated that they would probably close 
schools by the middle of next week.  Many people were 
concerned about conta 
cting their families now that most communication had been 
severed.  The Embassy set up two workstations for limited 
email for Amcit use during normal business hours. 
 
¶15. (SBU) We have received from Amcit family members in the 
US a number of welfare and whereabouts request, many of whom 
have been located today and confirmed all right.  There has 
been no reports of injuries or deaths among the Amcit 
community, and no requests for any emergency services. 
VILLAROSA