VZCZCXRO8279
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH RUEHTRO
DE RUEHGO #0335/01 1290829
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 080829Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7516
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1142
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 4689
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 8230
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5792
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3661
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1549
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RANGOON 000335 
 
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. 4 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 334 
 
     ¶B. RANGOON 330 AND PREVIOUS 
     ¶C. IIR 6 812 0065 08/BURMA 
     ¶D. IIR 6 812 0062 08/BURMA 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU)  EMBASSY OPERATIONS:  Embassy Rangoon continued to 
operate on city power and we expect to top off our diesel 
tanks tomorrow.  All FSNs will be allowed administrative 
leave at 1200 on May 9 to repair their homes.  The American 
Center will reopen on May 12.  So far 22 family members have 
elected to depart post, the first four will leave on May 9. 
On May 7, we issued a warden message reiterating the points 
in the Department's travel warning and providing fight 
information.  At the request of family members in the US, 
Consular continued to confirm welfare/whereabouts of Amcits 
and has not received any requests for emergency assistance. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  SITUATION ON THE GROUND:  Embassy officers who 
traveled to Bago and the southeastern Irrawaddy delta on May 
7 reported most roads were passable but several bridges were 
damaged and at least one destroyed.  Damage in the area they 
visited was moderate to severe, with conditions worse the 
further south they traveled.  Government relief efforts had 
begun but were slow and inconsistent.  A fuel shipment was 
expected to arrive near Rangoon today, although with the 
ports closed it will take about two days to transport the 
fuel to Rangoon by barge.  Authorities continued to restore 
power to parts of downtown and central Rangoon, but many 
neighborhoods, including most of the city's suburbs, were 
without city electricity.  Food was more readily available in 
Rangoon but at high prices.  The price of diesel and gasoline 
dropped by between 10 and 20 percent.  There were no reports 
of significant looting or public disturbances in Rangoon. 
Residents of the delta region were still in dire need of 
food, water, and 
 fuel. 
 
EMBASSY OPERATIONS 
------------------ 
 
¶X. (SBU)  STAFFING AND OPERATIONS:  All FSNs will be granted 
administrative leave at 1200 on Friday, May 9 to repair their 
homes.  We continue to operate under a liberal leave policy. 
Post will reopen the American Center on Monday May 12, 
subject to the continued availability of fuel and city 
electricity. 
 
¶X. (SBU) CONSULAR:  On the afternoon of May 7, a Warden 
Message was disseminated reminding Amcits of the May 5 Travel 
Warning, which urged Amcits to strongly consider departing 
Burma.  The Warden Message also provided commercial airline 
and flight availability information.  Consular continued to 
confirm welfare/whereabouts of Amcits, about whom U.S. family 
members inquired, principally by visiting them by car when an 
exact address is known and by Burmese Immigration 
authorities' confirmations of departure.  Telephonic 
confirmations do occur, but are sparse due to 
telecommunications lines being cut in most of Rangoon. 
Consular has received no Amcit requests for emergency 
assistance. 
 
¶X. (SBU) AUTHORIZED DEPARTURE AND FLIGHTS:  Post's Authorized 
Departure Task Force met again on May 8.  So far, 22 eligible 
family members have requested to depart post.  The first four 
are scheduled to depart on May 9 and more should depart over 
the weekend. 
 
¶X. (SBU)  FUEL AND POWER:  The Embassy continued to operate 
on city power.  We received four truckloads of diesel fuel 
and one truckload of high octane on May 8.  With that 
delivery, our diesel storage tanks are now 85 percent full, 
and high octane tanks are at 48 percent.  We expect to 
receive four more truckloads tomorrow which would top off our 
 
RANGOON 00000335  002 OF 003 
 
 
diesel storage tanks. 
 
¶X. (SBU)  WATER: The Embassy continues to have adequate water 
supplies and purification capacity on hand. 
 
¶X. (SBU)  SECURITY:  No criminal incidents involving American 
staff were reported.  RSO has received reports some 
residences may have been cased by potential burglars.  We 
continued to operate two mobile patrols around Embassy 
residences 24 hours a day and Embassy staff have been 
instructed to remain vigilant for potential security threats. 
 
¶X. (SBU)  OTHER:  Post distributed food and temporary 
chlorine water purification kits to our FSNs to meet 
immediate needs. 
 
SITUATION ON THE GROUND 
----------------------- 
 
¶X. (SBU)  CASUALTIES AND DAMAGE:  Embassy officers from P/E 
and DAO traveled to Bago and the southeastern Irrawaddy delta 
on May 7.  Southern Bago Division, among the areas that the 
Burmese government declared a disaster area, suffered 
variable damage from Cyclone Nargis.  The roads to and from 
Bago were clear and relatively undamaged.  The city of Bago 
appeared relatively undamaged except for a few fallen trees 
and damaged homes.  The situation south of Bago, however, was 
far more severe.  Much of the rice crop was un-harvested at 
the time of the storm and has been ruined.  Prices for 
construction materials have tripled since the May 3 cyclone. 
Food, fuel, and clean water was scarce and prices continued 
to rise (see Septel). 
 
¶X. (SBU)  DAO officers reported a mixture of moderate to 
severe damage in the southeastern delta region (see reftels C 
and D).  Roads were relatively undamaged, but Embassy 
officers observed at least one destroyed bridge near Dedaye 
(50KM southwest of Rangoon) and at least two severely damaged 
bridges near Bogalay (100KM southwest of Rangoon).  There was 
significant damage to towns between Rangoon and Dedaye, with 
conditions getting worse the further south Emboff traveled. 
None of these towns had electricity and few had access to 
potable water.  DAO officer observed several un-recovered 
human corpses and animal carcasses between Kungyangon and 
Dedaye.  Local residents in Bogolay told us approximately 
15,000 persons had died in or near that city, although Emboff 
did not observe any un-recovered corpses and could not 
confirm these figures.  Most of the first-hand accounts of 
deaths came from the town of Seisan, 25 miles south of 
Bogolay.  Residents in Bogolay reported they had harvested 
and sold approximately 90 percent of their rice crop to 
traders before the storm, although DAO officer observed 
significant damage to several rice mills which may have 
ruined some of the crop being processed.  Authorities 
prevented DAO officer from traveling beyond Bogolay. 
 
¶X. (SBU)  RECOVERY AND RELIEF:  Most local residents Embassy 
officers encountered were actively engaged in recovery 
efforts, including reconstruction of their homes, salvaging 
and drying rice crops, and clearing downed trees and power 
lines.  While government relief efforts had begun, Emboffs 
reported the progress was slow and inconsistent.  DAO learned 
that the GOB has been conducting food drops in the delta 
region using its five available helicopters.  Soldiers were 
present in some places Emboffs visited clearing trees and 
distributing supplies, but residents were left to themselves 
in others.  In Bogolay, several monks had begun to organize 
relief efforts themselves.  Emboffs reported the government 
was not actively engaged in rendering medical care in the 
areas they visited.   We will try to send officers to the 
southwest delta region where reports of losses are more 
severe. 
 
¶X. (SBU) FUEL:  Econ contacts reported private companies will 
begin bringing fuel shipments into Rangoon.  A shipment of 
diesel fuel is expected to arrive at the mouth of the river 
 
RANGOON 00000335  003 OF 003 
 
 
south of Rangoon today.  Because of the damaged ports, the 
fuel must then be transferred to a barge for transport to 
Rangoon (reftel A).  Our contact expected the fuel would 
likely arrive in Rangoon on Saturday May 10, but did not know 
how much was being shipped.  Blackmarket fuel prices dropped 
on May 8.  Diesel sold at 8,000 kyat ($7.20) per gallon, down 
2,000 from the day before.  Gasoline sold for 7,000 ($6.30) 
per gallon, down 1,000 from the day before.  Additionally, 
our contacts reported lines and rationing at some gas 
stations have begun to ease, with some stations selling five 
to six gallons per visit, versus just two yesterday. 
 
¶X. (SBU) FOOD AND WATER:  Food was generally available in 
most parts of Rangoon, but at high prices.  Fruits and 
vegetables were more readily available than meat, fish, and 
rice.  Most outdoor markets were open for business and 
several more modern grocery stores operated on a limited 
basis.  Most residents of the delta region are still in dire 
need of food and water. 
 
¶X. (SBU)  TRANSPORTATION:  Limited train service to and from 
Rangoon resumed.  More busses and other forms of public 
conveyance were seen on the roads today. 
 
¶X. (SBU)  ELECTRICITY:  Authorities continued to restore 
power to parts of downtown and central Rangoon, but many 
neighborhoods, including most of the city's suburbs, were 
without city electricity.  Most, if not all, of the delta 
remained without government-provided power. 
 
¶X. (SBU)  LAW AND ORDER:  There were no reports of widespread 
looting or public disturbance in or around Rangoon.  Emboffs 
observed numerous police and soldiers around the downtown and 
central Rangoon. 
 
¶X. (SBU) VISAS:  Four UN international aid experts were 
granted visas, but one of their Dutch colleagues was still 
waiting.  Reports from Thailand that the GOB has authorized 
US military flights are not based on the facts.  We have 
received no authorization.  The story is based on a Thai 
general's conversation with a Burmese general. 
VILLAROSA