Burma, lying north of Thailand and facing the Indian Ocean which carried the Dec 26 Asian tsunami, could have been spared the magnitude of death and destruction from the catastrophe.

That is, if the military government's official tsunami death count at 59 is to be believed.

The official count also put the number of injured at below 50 with more than 3,000 displaced in the country as a result of the deadly tsunami.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) recently announced, after a first hand assessment effort, that the government figures were "in the right range".

However, social and political activists as well as exiled Burmese parliamentarians have been highly sceptical of the accuracy of the figures released by the military government. The government was also criticised for taking two whole days to release the initial figures.

"At the moment, it appears that Burma was spared the scale of devastation but there's still grave concern as to how many have been affected. Many don't believe the military's conservative numbers," Burma lobby group Altsean coordinator Debbie Stothard told malaysiakini today.

Stothard also raised concerns for the many injured and impoverished people in Burma - also called by the military as Myanmar - whose numbers are believed to be more than it is claimed to be.

The world death toll stands close to 155,000 with thousands injured and displaced. Burma's southern neighbour Thailand has to date reported 5,200 lives lost by the giant waves which hit parts of Asia and Africa on Boxing Day.

Info accuracy

The Irrawaddy Delta - populated by a millions and is a primary rice cultivation area - is reported to have been badly affected by the tsunami.

WFP Asia region director Anthony Banbury told a press conference in Bangkok yesterday that around 10,000 people along the delta needed food aid.

However, unlike other affected countries receiving aid, Burma's political scenario restricts humanitarian aid efforts and media coverage, observers say.

"All of the (few) international organisations which are in Burma now are based in Rangoon and in order for them to leave the area, they need to acquire military approval," Stothard highlighted.

Burma's exiled government, the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) - elected in 1990 but disallowed to assume office by the junta - when contacted, also said the military-released statistics were possibly false.

NCGUB Media and Information Unit director Zin Linn told malaysiakini today that based on the exiled government's sources in Rangoon, it is believed that at least some 1000 Burmese fishermen are missing at sea.

"Although, it is difficult to guarantee the accuracy of our figures, our Rangoon sources however have contacts with natives in the delta and they believe that more than 100 fishing villages have been destroyed and its villagers displaced," said Zin.

Strong presence of military

He added that the natives claimed 100 fishing boats, with 10 men in each vessel, had gone out to sea on that fateful day. They have yet to be located.

Zin highlighted that the Burmese plight is made worse by the military's strong presence in affected areas, such as Latputta and Bogalay, and its control on the media.

Some foreign media reports carry the death toll in Burma as 90 persons.

According to the Union of Myanmar Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, its latest casualty figures in Burma stands at 34.

Exiled NCGUB parliamentarian Teddy Buri told ABC news yesterday that "given the fact the military regime in Burma has had a long history of broken promises, irresponsibilities and lies, we believe that the number is many, many times higher. If not in thousands, at least in hundreds".

Meanwhile, Stothard slammed the Burmese embassy in Thailand for ignoring its nationals working in Thailand who either lost their lives or have been displaced as a result of the tragedy.

"It is outrageous that the embassy has not stepped up to help their nationals. This is consistent with the general disregard the military regime has for it own people," she said.

Burmese embassy officials in Thailand were not available for comment.