New Taipei, March 31 (CNA) Myanmar-born Taiwanese filmmaker Midi Z (趙德胤) on Monday made a tearful appeal in New Taipei, saying the Southeast Asian nation devastated by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake last Friday needs help from everyone around the world.
The 42-year-old filmmaker said at a press conference that his phone has been inundated by messages from people in Myanmar since a couple of hours after the earthquake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, in the early afternoon on Friday.
“Many of my friends and families, it’s like everyone in Myanmar, fled to Mandalay because of the war in the country. They are already refugees in their own country,” said Midi Z, who moved to Taiwan to study on a scholarship at 16.
Several of the messages asked for excavators, or hammers or just any tools, but many replied that they have none of those, before one said just being there in person is enough, Midi Z recounted what he went through on Friday, while trying to hold back tears.
The filmmaker was then overwhelmed by emotion, and said in tears that he needs to let the world know people in Myanmar, after the recent years of military conflict, do not have what they need in the aftermath of the earthquake.
During the press event, Midi Z shared photos and videos of people in Myanmar attempting to rescue those trapped in buildings with minimal equipment and protection. People there need everything, including rescue equipment, medical supplies and even manpower, he said.
The filmmaker, who has spent the past five years in Myanmar filming documentaries, expressed hope that the world would remain focused on the situation, as it is likely far more serious than the military government is reporting.
Monday’s press conference was held by several groups of students from Myanmar and people who have family and other ties to the Southeast Asian country.
These groups in Taiwan are contacting local volunteers to find ways to ensure supplies are delivered to people who really need them, Midi Z said, adding that just sharing news reports about the situation in Myanmar helps.
As of Monday, the military government in Myanmar reported 2,056 deaths and more than 3,900 injured following the largest earthquake to hit the country in more than a century.
Local media outlets controlled by the military government, including The Irrawaddy and Myanmar Now, reported on Monday that government spokesperson Zaw Min Tun stated foreign media would be prevented from entering the country to report on the situation, citing difficulties in arranging accommodation and providing water and power.
