YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar’s military rulers held a referendum Saturday aimed at solidifying their hold on power while turning cyclone relief efforts into a propaganda campaign.
In some cases, generals’ names were scribbled onto boxes of foreign aid before being distributed.
Human-rights organizations and dissident groups have accused the junta of neglecting disaster victims in going ahead with the vote, which seeks public approval of a new constitution.
The referendum came just one week after Cyclone Nargis left more than 60,000 people dead or missing. The U.N. estimates that at least 1.5 million people have been severely affected.
Aye Aye Mar, a 36-year-old homemaker, looked frightened when asked whether she thought anyone would vote against the referendum.
“One vote of ‘no’ will not make a difference,” she whispered, her eyes darting around to see whether anyone was watching. Then she raised her voice to declare: “I’m saying ‘yes’ to the constitution.”
Although international aid has started to trickle in — with two more planes organized by the U.N. World Food Program landing at Yangon’s airport Saturday — almost all foreign relief workers have been barred entry. The junta says it wants to hand out all donated supplies on its own.
But with roads blocked and bridges submerged, reaching isolated areas in the hard-hit delta has been made all but impossible. The military has only a few dozen helicopters, most small and old. It also has about 15 transport planes, few of which are able to carry massive amounts of supplies.
Long lines formed in front of government centers, where minuscule rations of rice and oil were being distributed. Elsewhere, people clustered on roadsides hoping for handouts. The words “Help us!” were written in chalk on the side of one home.
Despite international appeals to postpone the constitutional referendum, voting began Saturday in all but the hardest-hit parts of the country.
As lines formed, state-run television continuously ran images of top generals, including junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe, handing out boxes of aid at elaborate ceremonies.
“We have already seen regional commanders putting their names on the side of aid shipments from Asia, saying this was a gift from them and then distributing it in their region,” said Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, which campaigns for human rights and democracy in the country.
“It is not going to areas where it is most in need,” he said in London.
