VZCZCXRO7112
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH RUEHTRO
DE RUEHGO #0330/01 1280817
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 070817Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7504
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1132
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 4679
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 8220
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5782
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3651
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1537
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RANGOON 000330 
 
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. 3 
 
REF: RANGOON 319 AND PREVIOUS 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU)  POST OPERATIONS: As of May 7, Embassy Rangoon 
resumed operating on city power again.  We continue to 
receive two diesel shipments per day.  The consular section 
has suspended visa operations until May 21 to focus on 
American Citizen Services.  Post's Authorized Departure Task 
Force met to collect numbers of family members planning to 
depart.  We will report these shortly. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  SITUATION ON THE GROUND:  On May 6, state media 
reported over 21,793 persons killed and 40,695 missing in 
Irrawaddy Division and 671 killed and 359 missing in Rangoon 
Division as a result of Nargis.  However, NGO sources 
reported over 100,000 were killed in Irrawaddy Division. 
Food, water, and fuel continued to be in short supply 
throughout Rangoon with sources reporting the situation in 
Irrawaddy Division as critical.  Electricity was restored to 
a limited number of downtown Rangoon neighborhoods, but most 
of the city was still without power.  More gasoline and CNG 
stations opened, and we saw more public transportation 
operating today.  Burmese Port Authority officials told us 
they believe the Thilawa port, 25 kilometers southeast of 
Rangoon will be fully operational in two weeks, but we are 
seeking to independently confirm this estimate. 
 
EMBASSY OPERATIONS 
------------------ 
 
¶3. (SBU)  STAFFING AND OPERATIONS:  There was no change to 
Embassy operating hours or liberal leave policy.  We will 
provide loans to FSNs today to meet immediate needs.  The 
consular section suspended visa operations until May 21 to 
devote resources to American Citizen Services. 
 
¶4. (SBU) AUTHORIZED DEPARTURE AND FLIGHTS:  Post's Authorized 
Departure Task Force met on May 7 and will meet daily as long 
as necessary.  We are collecting numbers on how many family 
members wish to depart and will report them to the Department 
this evening.  Our travel section reported there are between 
six and ten commercial airline seats to Bangkok each day, and 
between five and nine seats to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are 
available each day. 
 
¶5. (SBU)  FUEL AND POWER:  As of May 7, the Embassy resumed 
operating on city power.  Management reported it received two 
of the five truckloads of diesel fuel we ordered (3,840 
gallons) on May 7 and expect one truckload of high octane 
fuel tomorrow.  As of May 7, the Embassy had 37,000 gallons 
of diesel fuel on hand and 2,700 gallons of high octane.  GSO 
has a commitment from the vendor to continue to provide us 
two truckloads of diesel per day, and is negotiating with to 
secure more diesel and high octane shipments. 
 
¶6. (SBU)  WATER: The Embassy continues to have adequate water 
supplies and purification capacity on hand. 
 
¶7. (SBU)  SECURITY:  No criminal incidents involving American 
staff reported.  The breach in the Embassy's perimeter has 
been temporarily repaired. 
 
¶8. (SBU)  OTHER:  Post has established a local FSN relief 
fund to assist FSN's with immediate needs, and has applied 
for assistance from the Department's Global FSN Relief Fund. 
Bangkok also has set up a fund for Embassy Rangoon FSNs. 
 
SITUATION ON THE GROUND 
----------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU)  CASUALTIES AND DAMAGE: On the evening of May 6, 
Burmese state media reported over 21,793 persons were killed 
and 40,695 were missing in Irrawaddy Division and 671 were 
killed and 359 missing in Rangoon Division. A local NGO with 
 
RANGOON 00000330  002 OF 003 
 
 
staff in Irrawaddy Division, reported government officials in 
the city of Laputa told them  100,000 persons were killed and 
all structures were destroyed in that city.  NGO staff who 
surveyed Pyinsalu Island reported that only 4,600 of the 
island's 40,000 residents remain, and most are injured or 
sick.  Additionally, local sources reported the villages of 
Thaungle, Ayardaw, Thapyaysate, and Thanggangyi in Irrawaddy 
Division were completely submerged.  Our contacts informed us 
that eleven relief camps have been established by local 
monasteries and churches in Myo Mya, but all lacked basic 
equipment and facilities.  Local sources estimate between 
2,500 and 3,000 persons are in these camps.  Initial reports 
from the city of Pathein in Irrawaddy Division indicated the 
city also sustained severe damage and was without power and 
water.  We have sent one officer to the delta area to report 
on damage and another to Bago, north of Rangoon.  A police 
contact reported the GOB had dropped rice by helicopter to 
flooded areas of the delta. 
 
¶10. (SBU)  RECOVERY:  GSO's contacts at the Burmese Port 
Authority told us they believe the Myanmar International 
Terminals Thilawa port will be fully operational in two 
weeks.  This port is located 25 miles southeast of Rangoon 
near the city of Thanlyin.  A businessman who supplies 
machinery to that port told us one of three cranes at Thilawa 
collapsed into the water.  He added that Asia World's port 
was open and operational.  We will gather more information on 
damage to the port facilities and their normal capabilities 
and capacity.  Elements of the 77th, 66th, and 33rd Light 
Infantry Divisions were seen in Rangoon clearing debris from 
the road, with the 77th and 66th were taking the lead on 
recovery efforts in downtown Rangoon. 
 
¶11. (SBU) FOOD, WATER AND FUEL:  Food, water, and fuel 
continue to be continued to be in short supply throughout 
Rangoon, with sources reporting the situation in Irrawaddy 
Division as critical.  Displaced persons fleeing Pathein told 
emboffs that there had been no food or water available since 
the afternoon of Friday, May 2 and official relief assistance 
was non-existent.  Seven CNG filling stations were open on 
May 7 in Rangoon, five more than yesterday.  Econ contacts 
told us the CNG pipelines were operational and that there is 
no shortage of CNG.  However, the filling stations need power 
to compress the natural gas and most still do not have city 
power or sufficient fuel to power their generators.  Most of 
the city's busses and taxis use CNG. 
 
¶12. (SBU)  TRANSPORTATION: A few public busses were seen 
running to and from Rangoon the morning of May 7, although 
most remained out of service.  A P/E FSN confirmed that one 
main bus route was charging normal, pre-cylcone, fees. 
 
¶13. (SBU)  ELECTRICITY:  Some city power was restored in 
limited areas of downtown Rangoon and around the Embassy.  As 
of the morning of May 7, Traders Hotel, near Sule Pagoda, was 
running on city power.  A French diplomat reported that the 
Summit Parkview Hotel, where he moved after his home was 
destroyed, has city electricity.  Econ contacts reported the 
government had prioritized six downtown townships for the 
restoration of electric power.  However, the vast majority of 
Rangoon remained without power. 
 
¶14. (SBU)  LAW AND ORDER:  DEA contacts reported the Burmese 
Director General of Police has been in Rangoon to personally 
oversee the police which have been supplemented by soldiers. 
There was a visible police and army presence downtown and in 
some more affluent neighborhoods, but many of our contacts 
reported little or no presence in other areas. 
 
¶15. (SBU) VISAS:  Save the Children's (STC) director in 
Rangoon reported some of their staff have entered the country 
but all on existing visas.  He could not confirm whether any 
new visas had been issued for STC staff.  The Minister of 
Social Welfare told STC they could bring in relief supplies 
by air, but so far STC has not received official permission 
to do so.  We are meeting with UN and other donors now to 
 
RANGOON 00000330  003 OF 003 
 
 
find out if they have received any indications of movement on 
visas. 
VILLAROSA