Lettera dell'Arcivescovo di Yangon (Agosto 2008)

That eerie feeling after ninety hard days

Ninety days ago,

A ghastly storm visited us. Breaking the back bones of the people of Myanmar, whose incremental suffering too is well known to the well, cyclone Nargis left a trail of death and mayhem. Millions were left homeless, 150,000 were dead and hundreds of children were left orphans. A nation was in mourning. Fearless journalists penetrated the heart of delta, bringing in shocking stories of nature’s ferocity against human beings. The world wept with us then. Offers of support came in. Despite all access constraints, many could visit our country. We were able to meet a stream of visitors from the Caritas family. Both the dioceses, Pathein and Yangon, put at the disposal of the relief work all their resources – human and finance. Offers of support led us to configure a robust response, bringing solace to hundreds. To a church long used to restrictions, post - Nargis relief work was a unique challenge. We met that with the commitment of our people. Even now our volunteers are doing a great job, living in some of the most dangerous places.




Ninety days later, now,

There is a creeping and frustrating feeling of ‘once again Myanmar is being abandoned’. Abandoned by all who visited us, all whom we hosted with great difficulty, abandoned by all who listened with rapt attention to our plea in the meetings and promised a great support for long time.

Already, most of our works are stalled because the promises and pledges never got converted into real support. We have seen this all for decades. Often it is our big brother in the north who grabs attention and diverts world’s attention towards its problems. In the eighties China literally took away the attention of the world. Now when nature, in fury and anguish, uncovered the permanent disasters of the poor of Myanmar, the earthquake in China managed to grab all the attention, including that of some of our partners. We wish China well, its agonies need to be addressed. But can Myanmar be once again be forgotten?


The whole process of ERST (Emergency Response Support Team) was enriching. We are indebted to them for what has happened here in the Post Disaster relief phase. But we are becoming aware, painfully, that some of the problems inherent to a society like ours, has made greater news than what our simple people, whose capacities are never allowed to flower forth, have achieved against all odds. We seek not only a long term commitment in finance, but in capacity building of our people. The Relief work offered a window of opportunity to build a suffering church’s capacity to serve the poor of Myanmar in a more committed and professional modus operandi.

This hope, we are afraid, is fast fading. While both the dioceses are determined to streamline and fine tune all mechanisms, changes are not fast paced in this country. Handling a process of rehabilitation needs a compassionate accompaniment.



Ultimately the poor of Myanmar will benefit by a comprehensive rehabilitation process. It is their brokenness and tears, brought us all together. Our obligations to them warrant a greater commitment from all of us-those who work at the ground level, with proper commitment, transparency and accountability. To all those friends who stood by us in our moment of agony, we plead for a continued commitment in getting the pledges and promises converted into real resources for the poor.

The recent joint report by the Myanmar government, the UN and the Asean points towards a very long rehabilitation phase, stretching to two to three years. The joint report points out that emergency assistance is yet to reach many remote areas. The early recovery and the middle recovery are delayed. Nearly 60% of the shelter needs are yet to be fulfilled. Thousands of school cannot function normally.

It is a long journey with a people broken by decades of suffering and the unkindly attack by nature. When it came, it traumatized the whole Church. But with the promises of support and compassion, we galvanized ourselves to serve thousands.

The Church reaffirms its commitment to meet all the expectations of all our partners in this service to the poor. It is your fellowship that made our work, a journey of hope and long term commitment. We were enriched by the presence of all of you who came to guide us.

Myanmar cannot be forgotten once again.


In Solidarity,



Archbishop Charles Bo SDB
Yangon