Won Maung Thein came to Scotland from Myanmar as a student 10 years ago and is now a care worker in Ayr. He has called on people to support those affected by the earthquake in his home country.
£1m has been raised in Scotland in the first 24 hours of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Mynamar earthquake appeal.
£1m has been raised in Scotland in the first 24 hours of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Mynamar earthquake appeal.
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NewsTranscript
00:00I'm one thing I'm I'm leaving Glasgow but today I'm coming here to DC committee
00:06to share some information what's happening in Burma especially people
00:11from Burma who are suffering from the earthquake at the moment so I would like
00:14to share some information with you today. So I tried to contact my family first in
00:19Rangoon and it was very difficult situations because of due to the lack of
00:23electricity and internet connections so it was so difficult so I also spoke with
00:29some of my friends in Mandalay where it's the earthquake affected a lot where
00:35so I spoke with my friends and they said the current situation is really bad and
00:40they do not have enough resource or rescue team there so my friends they are
00:46trying to help their local community with the local community and trying
00:50their best but because they do not have any resource and it's so difficult for
00:56them to help them as well and a lot of people lost their homes and buildings
01:00and a lot of people were dead and sadly is it's true and then even though they
01:06were sent to some hospitals they couldn't accept them due to the lack of
01:11places and it was really hard my friend was telling me that and because the
01:17weather is too hot as well and you know and people are staying on the streets at
01:22the moment because there was no buildings left and a lot of houses were
01:27collapsed and yeah it was it was terrible situations that they told me
01:32about this and she also shared me with the more information with the video
01:37clips and photos that they found in on Facebook and they just sent it to me
01:43whenever I'd watch that videos it was heartbreaking a lot of people were dead
01:47and children's and women's are still trapped under the buildings and as much
01:52as I heard local community they are trying to help them to take off from the
01:59buildings but you know there are a lot of people are still under the buildings
02:02and it's yeah it's terrible situations I felt really sorry for them and I hope we
02:08can help something to them from here well when at first they didn't realize
02:15that at first time they didn't realize it was happening and when it really
02:19happened they were so scared and terrified and they do not know what to
02:23do and some people they were just stay in the house and they were lying down
02:27on the ground they tried to escape but some people they managed to escape but
02:31some couldn't so people at the time my friend she said it was very terrifying
02:37experiences and when she saw what's happening outside and like buildings
02:42were destroyed collapsed and then the earth separated like very largely and
02:48she she was shocked and especially she was very terrified that now when she see
02:53a lot of people were dying around around her yeah so she she her family are safe
03:00but she near her neighbors and her relatives were in that damage in the
03:07damage situation so she and her local community like leaders they try to just
03:13help as much as possible so for example basic needs they need even shelters food
03:18or water they don't even have water enough water there and as I mentioned
03:23because the weather now is very hot and very hot season in Burma probably up to
03:3030 40 40 plus situation so it's too hot so when they do not have a home a shelter
03:37and they have to live under the under the Sun and it's it's devastated it's
03:41very difficult situations and I can feel that and they really need help and I'm
03:48sure when she mentioned that it was very terrifying experience she had never
03:53experienced this before in her life yeah so I just wanted to say that currently
03:59people from Myanmar they are they are suffering a lot especially they are
04:04facing this hardship from you know from military junta government and now the
04:11one of the hardest earthquake happened in Myanmar and a lot of people especially
04:17in the middle part of Myanmar for example Mandalay and Zagai areas they
04:21are a lot of people were dead and a lot of buildings and lives are lost
04:28buildings were destroyed so for me I will really encourage anyone who is
04:34watching this please help us please help people from Myanmar to give any
04:41support with any fundings anything anything possible any emotional support
04:46any shelter water food anything possible please help them as much as possible
04:52because we really need help and a lot of people were already dead and as much as
04:56I know the according to the estimations of the dead toll at least 3,000 to up to
05:0310,000 people are already dead and a lot of people are still under the buildings
05:07and still trying to survive so obviously they will definitely need even though
05:13from from that point to even later time they really need some kind of support to
05:21get back to their life you know so I really want to encourage you or request
05:26you that to help them as much as possible and to generously provide them
05:32any support that you can do thank you thank you so much