Latest news with #PoppyMcPherson
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Few doctors, throttled aid: How Myanmar's junta worsened earthquake toll
By Wa Lone, Poppy McPherson and Shoon Naing (Reuters) - Burmese academic Sophia Htwe spent hours desperately trying to call home from Australia after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck her hometown in Myanmar in late March, learning that a childhood friend had been trapped in the rubble. Friends from the central-northwestern region of Sagaing told her that she had been freed but died from her injuries after receiving no medical treatment. "That just really broke me... This is actually the failure of the military junta and the military coup," she said, referring to the junta's attacks on healthcare since seizing power in February 2021. The earthquake, which killed more than 3,700 people and injured 5,000, quickly overwhelmed a severely depleted health system in which the number of doctors and nurses had fallen dramatically under military rule, according to World Health Organization figures. Many blame the situation on attacks on healthcare facilities as the military administration sought to root out opponents to its rule, after medics took a prominent role in the anti-junta movement that emerged after the coup. That meant many victims of the earthquake went without immediate medical attention or had to wait a long time to receive the care they needed, according to two doctors who worked in the quake zone, two opposition activists and two human rights groups monitoring the response to the disaster. Rights groups Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights said doctors had described medicine and staff shortages and patients whose wounds had rotted in the absence of medical care. In a joint statement on April 29 they said the military's "years of unlawful attacks on healthcare facilities and workers" had severely hindered the emergency response. The situation was compounded, they said, because some medical workers were too afraid of arrest to operate in junta-controlled areas or scared of passing through checkpoints to reach areas where they were needed. Some areas affected by the earthquake are contested by both rebel and junta forces and their affiliated militias, creating an environment of tension and suspicion. Despite declaring a ceasefire on April 2, the junta has continued daily aerial attacks that have killed civilians, according to a Reuters analysis of data. More than 172 attacks have occurred since the ceasefire, 73 of them in areas devastated by the earthquake. A spokesman for the junta did not respond to several requests for comment. WORKFORCE SHORTAGES Before the coup, which toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and ignited a civil war, the number of healthcare workers was growing. It surged 13.3% between 2016 and 2020 to about six doctors and nine nurses per 10,000 people, the WHO said. That figure fell to 1.01 doctors and 1.96 nurses in 2022 – far short of the recommended WHO minimum standard of 22.8 healthcare workers per 10,000 – as medical workers joined the anti-junta Civil Disobedience Movement, refusing to work for government-run clinics. According to Insecurity Insight, a Swiss non-governmental organisation, that tracks attacks on healthcare across the world. Soldiers have killed at least 74 health workers, attacked at least 263 health facilities, and arrested and prosecuted more than 800 since the coup. While some who left have since returned to work, the shortage of health workers remains "very serious", said Dr Thushara Fernando, the WHO's Myanmar representative. In January this year, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing acknowledged in state media that some hospitals did not have a single doctor. Non-government medical facilities were "severely restricted", the WHO said, by a lack of skilled health workers and difficulties imposed by the junta in importing medical supplies - restrictions that have created a shortage of life-saving medicines. Before the quake, the military shut at least eight private hospitals in Mandalay, one of the cities devastated by the disaster, according to the National Unity Government, a parallel civilian administration, while the quake destroyed at least five health facilities and partially damaged 61, according to the WHO. Healthcare workers aligned with the opposition are providing lifesaving care through underground networks, but "they are operating with extremely limited resources, and their safety remains a serious concern," said an NUG official who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. The junta has detained doctors aligned with the opposition, which it characterises as "terrorists". The two doctors who travelled to the earthquake zone and asked not to be named for fear of retribution also described manpower problems. One said medics treating quake victims lacked triage expertise because the senior doctors who once led training had been imprisoned or feared arrest if they travelled to the disaster zone. The other said people with chronic illnesses had been unable to access vital medications, and quake survivors were suffering from diarrhoea, skin-related diseases and heat-stroke as temperatures climb to about 40 degrees Celsius (104°F). "During the earthquake, people didn't receive the immediate aid they desperately needed," he said, adding that authorities frequently questioned people helping survivors. UNDERGROUND RESPONSE The military, which controls most but not all of the areas worst hit by the quake, has not eased its communications bans or stringent customs rules since the disaster happened, said James Rodehaver, Myanmar head for the United Nations Office on Human Rights. He said a requirement by the junta that all organisations working on earthquake relief register with authorities had driven some Burmese humanitarian responders underground, while there was no evidence the military – fighting across multiple frontlines – was deploying troops to help deliver aid. In 2022, state media reported the junta diverted funds from the natural disaster management budget to provide loans in a bid to boost the sluggish economy, a move Win Myat Aye, the top official for disaster management under the former civilian government, says left a shortage of emergency supplies, logistical support, and recovery programmes. In Sagaing, Nyi Nyi Tin, whose home was damaged by the quake, said there was no official support beyond an offer of about $61 to the families of the dead and some compensation for the injured. As the monsoon rains loom, tens of thousands are still living in makeshift tents and the WHO says it fears the spread of communicable diseases. In comparison with massive community responses to past disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic, there were only small teams of people helping and little cooperation between civil society and authorities, Nyi Nyi Tin said. "That sense of unity is gone. I think it's because people are afraid," he said. (Reporting by Wa Lone, Poppy McPherson, and Shoon Naing. Writing by Poppy McPherson; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Myanmar junta defies quake ceasefire to continue deadly attacks, data shows
By Devjyot Ghoshal, Poppy McPherson and Pasit Kongkunakornkul BANGKOK (Reuters) - Myanmar's junta has kept up a deadly military campaign, including airstrikes and artillery assaults, despite announcing a ceasefire after a major earthquake killed thousands in March, according to the United Nations and data from a crisis monitor. The March 28 quake, the worst natural disaster to hit the impoverished nation in decades, triggered a multi-national relief effort to support hundreds of thousands already ravaged by conflict and repeated international calls to halt the fighting. On April 2, following similar moves by opposition armed groups, Myanmar's military announced a 20-day ceasefire to support humanitarian relief. On Tuesday it said the temporary cessation had been extended until April 30 after rare high-level talks led by Malaysia's premier. But unreported figures from the United Nations show that the fighting has continued unabated and a Reuters analysis of data provided by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project found the frequency of junta aerial attacks has increased since the ceasefire announcement, compared to the six months prior. A junta spokesman did not respond to multiple calls from Reuters seeking comment. Between March 28 and April 24, the military launched at least 207 attacks, including 140 airstrikes and 24 artillery barrages, according to data from the UN Human Rights Office, based on reports it had received. More than 172 attacks have occurred since the ceasefire, 73 of them in areas devastated by the earthquake. "It's business as usual," said James Rodehaver, Myanmar head for the United Nations Office on Human Rights. "The have involved stopping all military activity and repurposing your military to support the humanitarian response and that has not happened." Myanmar has been in crisis since the military seized power in February 2021, toppling the elected government of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. A brutal junta crackdown on the opposition ignited a spiralling civil war, including in the previously peaceful central heartlands where protesters took up arms. CIVILIAN TARGETS Two weeks into the ceasefire, junta aircraft swooped over South Kan Ma Yaik village in southeastern Karen state on April 16, during Burmese new year celebrations, and dropped bombs that killed a pregnant woman and her unborn baby to the north of the settlement, an eyewitness told Reuters. "The first bomb exploded near her house. Then she braced her children for a second bomb and shrapnel hit her body," said the witness, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution. "All the children were bleeding all over." Reuters could not independently verify the witnesses' account but the ACLED data contains an entry for a junta attack on the village on April 16, including one fatality. In the six months before April 2, the junta every day conducted an average of 7.6 attacks using aircraft or drones that killed more than five people daily, including civilians, according to data provided by ACLED. Between April 2 and April 18, the military carried out an average of 9.7 aircraft or drone attacks every day, leaving more than six people dead each day, since the ceasefire was announced, ACLED data shows. In all, 105 people were killed by junta aerial attacks during this period. The data showed opposition groups only conducted three aerial attacks during the ceasefire, between April 2-18. Anti-junta groups in the country lack any conventional air force and rely on drones. In contrast, the Myanmar junta's air force includes Chinese and Russian-made fighter and ground attack aircraft, Russian attack helicopters and some heavy unmanned aerial vehicles, according to an International Institute for Strategic Studies report last year. The junta's aerial attacks since the quake have been in the Sagaing region and northern Shan state, where it is attempting to regain strategic positions, as well as in Kachin and Rakhine states, said ACLED Senior Analyst Su Mon. "The military is still conducting aerial strikes that target civilian populations," she said. In its ceasefire announcements, on April 2 and April 22, the junta said that it would retaliate against a range of actions by rebels, including recruitment and territorial expansion. In a few instances, the data indicated that the military was attacked by armed groups prior to launching an airstrike, the U.N's Rodehaver said. Referring to the junta, he said, "Whenever you get attacked by... small arms fire, your response is to launch airstrikes on an area and you end up killing a dozen people who were not involved in the fighting at all. Is that a ceasefire?"
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Time of India
'Cancer' of billion-dollar cyberscam industry spreading globally: United Nations
By Poppy McPherson BANGKOK -Asian crime syndicates behind the multibillion-dollar cyberscam industry are expanding globally including to South America and Africa, as raids in Southeast Asia fail to contain their activities, the United Nations said in a report on Monday. Criminal networks that emerged in Southeast Asia in recent years, opening sprawling compounds housing tens of thousands of workers, many trafficked and forced to scam victims around the world, have evolved into a sophisticated global industry, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said. Even as Southeast Asian governments have intensified a crackdown, syndicates have moved within and beyond the region, the agency said, adding that a "potentially irreversible spillover has taken place... leaving criminal groups free to pick, choose, and move... as needed". "It spreads like a cancer," said John Wojcik, a regional analyst for UNODC. "Authorities treat it in one area, but the roots never disappear; they simply migrate." Conservative estimates indicate there are hundreds of large-scale scam farms around the world generating tens of billions of dollars in annual profits, the UNODC said. The agency called on countries to work together and intensify efforts to disrupt the gangs' financing. "The regional cyberfraud industry... has outpaced other transnational crimes, given that it is easily scalable and able to reach millions of potential victims online, with no need to move or traffic illicit goods across borders," said Wojcik. The United States alone reported more than $5.6 billion in losses to cryptocurrency scams in 2023, including more than $4 million in so-called pig-butchering scams or romance scams designed to extort money from often elderly and vulnerable people. 'INFLECTION POINT' In recent months, authorities from China, where many of the gangs originate, Thailand and Myanmar have led a crackdown on scam operations in lawless areas of the Thai-Myanmar border, with Thailand cutting power, fuel and internet supply to areas housing scam compounds. But syndicates have adapted, shifting operations between "the most remote, vulnerable, and underprepared parts of Southeast Asia", especially in Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia, and beyond, exploiting jurisdictions with weak governance and high rates of corruption, the UNODC said. Raids in parts of Cambodia where the industry is most visible "led to significant expansion in more remote locations", including the country's western Koh Kong province, as well as areas bordering Thailand and Vietnam, the U.N. agency said. New sites also continue to be developed in Myanmar, it added, a country in the throes of an expanding conflict since the military seized power four years ago. Spokespeople for the Cambodian government and Myanmar junta did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Syndicates have expanded into South America, the U.N. agency said, seeking to enhance money laundering and underground banking partnerships with South American drug cartels. They are increasingly establishing operations in Africa, including in Zambia, Angola, and Namibia, and in Eastern Europe including Georgia, the agency said. Gangs have also rapidly diversified their workforce, recruiting people from dozens of nationalities, according to the agency, reflecting how the industry scams targets across the globe and has sought to evade anti-trafficking efforts. Citizens of more than 50 countries - from Brazil to Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan - were rescued during recent crackdowns on the Thai-Myanmar border. The international community is at a "critical inflection point," the UNODC said, urging that failure to address the problem would have "unprecedented consequences for Southeast Asia that reverberate globally".
Japan Today
21-04-2025
- Japan Today
'Cancer' of billion-dollar cyberscam industry spreading globally: U.N.
FILE PHOTO: Multinational victims of scam centers, who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar, stand on a vessel floating towards the Thai side of border via Moei River in Phop Phra District, Tak province, Thailand February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Krit Phromsakla Na Sakolnakorn/File Photo By Poppy McPherson Asian crime syndicates behind the multibillion-dollar cyberscam industry are expanding globally including to South America and Africa, as raids in Southeast Asia fail to contain their activities, the United Nations said in a report on Monday. Criminal networks that emerged in Southeast Asia in recent years, opening sprawling compounds housing tens of thousands of workers, many trafficked and forced to scam victims around the world, have evolved into a sophisticated global industry, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said. Even as Southeast Asian governments have intensified a crackdown, syndicates have moved within and beyond the region, the agency said, adding that a 'potentially irreversible spillover has taken place... leaving criminal groups free to pick, choose, and move... as needed'. 'It spreads like a cancer,' said John Wojcik, a regional analyst for UNODC. 'Authorities treat it in one area, but the roots never disappear; they simply migrate.' Conservative estimates indicate there are hundreds of large-scale scam farms around the world generating tens of billions of dollars in annual profits, the UNODC said. The agency called on countries to work together and intensify efforts to disrupt the gangs' financing. 'The regional cyberfraud industry... has outpaced other transnational crimes, given that it is easily scalable and able to reach millions of potential victims online, with no need to move or traffic illicit goods across borders,' said Wojcik. The United States alone reported more than $5.6 billion in losses to cryptocurrency scams in 2023, including more than $4 million in so-called pig-butchering scams or romance scams designed to extort money from often elderly and vulnerable people. In recent months, authorities from China, where many of the gangs originate, Thailand and Myanmar have led a crackdown on scam operations in lawless areas of the Thai-Myanmar border, with Thailand cutting power, fuel and internet supply to areas housing scam compounds. But syndicates have adapted, shifting operations between 'the most remote, vulnerable, and underprepared parts of Southeast Asia', especially in Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia, and beyond, exploiting jurisdictions with weak governance and high rates of corruption, the UNODC said. Raids in parts of Cambodia where the industry is most visible 'led to significant expansion in more remote locations', including the country's western Koh Kong province, as well as areas bordering Thailand and Vietnam, the U.N. agency said. New sites also continue to be developed in Myanmar, it added, a country in the throes of an expanding conflict since the military seized power four years ago. Spokespeople for the Cambodian government and Myanmar junta did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Syndicates have expanded into South America, the U.N. agency said, seeking to enhance money laundering and underground banking partnerships with South American drug cartels. They are increasingly establishing operations in Africa, including in Zambia, Angola, and Namibia, and in Eastern Europe including Georgia, the agency said. Gangs have also rapidly diversified their workforce, recruiting people from dozens of nationalities, according to the agency, reflecting how the industry scams targets across the globe and has sought to evade anti-trafficking efforts. Citizens of more than 50 countries – from Brazil to Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan - were rescued during recent crackdowns on the Thai-Myanmar border. The international community is at a 'critical inflection point,' the UNODC said, urging that failure to address the problem would have 'unprecedented consequences for Southeast Asia that reverberate globally'. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
'Cancer' of billion-dollar cyberscam industry spreading globally
By Poppy McPherson BANGKOK (Reuters) -Asian crime syndicates behind the multibillion-dollar cyberscam industry are expanding globally including to South America and Africa, as raids in Southeast Asia fail to contain their activities, the United Nations said in a report on Monday. Criminal networks that emerged in Southeast Asia in recent years, opening sprawling compounds housing tens of thousands of workers, many trafficked and forced to scam victims around the world, have evolved into a sophisticated global industry, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said. Even as Southeast Asian governments have intensified a crackdown, syndicates have moved within and beyond the region, the agency said, adding that a 'potentially irreversible spillover has taken place... leaving criminal groups free to pick, choose, and move... as needed'. 'It spreads like a cancer,' said John Wojcik, a regional analyst for UNODC. 'Authorities treat it in one area, but the roots never disappear; they simply migrate.' Conservative estimates indicate there are hundreds of large-scale scam farms around the world generating tens of billions of dollars in annual profits, the UNODC said. The agency called on countries to work together and intensify efforts to disrupt the gangs' financing. 'The regional cyberfraud industry... has outpaced other transnational crimes, given that it is easily scalable and able to reach millions of potential victims online, with no need to move or traffic illicit goods across borders,' said Wojcik. The United States alone reported more than $5.6 billion in losses to cryptocurrency scams in 2023, including more than $4 million in so-called pig-butchering scams or romance scams designed to extort money from often elderly and vulnerable people. 'INFLECTION POINT' In recent months, authorities from China, where many of the gangs originate, Thailand and Myanmar have led a crackdown on scam operations in lawless areas of the Thai-Myanmar border, with Thailand cutting power, fuel and internet supply to areas housing scam compounds. But syndicates have adapted, shifting operations between 'the most remote, vulnerable, and underprepared parts of Southeast Asia', especially in Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia, and beyond, exploiting jurisdictions with weak governance and high rates of corruption, the UNODC said. Raids in parts of Cambodia where the industry is most visible 'led to significant expansion in more remote locations', including the country's western Koh Kong province, as well as areas bordering Thailand and Vietnam, the U.N. agency said. New sites also continue to be developed in Myanmar, it added, a country in the throes of an expanding conflict since the military seized power four years ago. Spokespeople for the Cambodian government and Myanmar junta did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Syndicates have expanded into South America, the U.N. agency said, seeking to enhance money laundering and underground banking partnerships with South American drug cartels. They are increasingly establishing operations in Africa, including in Zambia, Angola, and Namibia, and in Eastern Europe including Georgia, the agency said. Gangs have also rapidly diversified their workforce, recruiting people from dozens of nationalities, according to the agency, reflecting how the industry scams targets across the globe and has sought to evade anti-trafficking efforts. Citizens of more than 50 countries – from Brazil to Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan - were rescued during recent crackdowns on the Thai-Myanmar border. The international community is at a 'critical inflection point,' the UNODC said, urging that failure to address the problem would have 'unprecedented consequences for Southeast Asia that reverberate globally'.
