The United Nations said Myanmar’s government refusal to let in foreign aid workers to help victims of the cyclone was “unprecedented” in the history of humanitarian work.
Those who thought that the furious attacks on the Monks represented the cruelest face of the Myanmar’s regime now have to think again. A killing cyclone combined with inefficient institutions is a dreadful combination.If you add a cruel dictatorial gang – that prefers Apocalypse than losing power – to the mix, the result is the worst scenario it’s possible.
Parallel states
Considered to be one of the most prosperous democracies in their regions Mexico, Lebanon and Brazil are experiencing huge challenges as the rule of law is threatened by organized crime.
18 comments:
What many people are missing here is that Burmese government refused aid from countries that it does not consider friendly. This has put the safety of their people at risk and should be viewed as genocide. It should not matter who is providing the aid, just that they are!
The Burmese government need to be censured by the whole world for trying to contain the disaster from the rest of the world.
Its all about saving the face of a tyrannical leadership, and protecting the deals that the rulers have with other countries such as China and Taiwan who they deal with behind closed doors in Oil, Gas and Rice, depriving their own citizens from these most staple of commodities. The world needs to act now, because the Burmese people are not getting any from their ruler.
I am so upset! I have just been watching the news and a reporter in hiding in Burma. He is trying to get the news of the carnage to the outside world, but instead of trying to give help to the victims of the disaster, the Junta's military are hunting reporters to stop the outside world finding out anything more about Burma. The UN should have already been dealing with the disaster, the fact is there is so much red tape that they are effectively impotent. These people need our help now!!!
What are the conditions to the aid being imposed by various countries? Is this the stumbling block? If my country was in dire need I would accept aid, unless - the conditions contained a political agenda. Do they?
I think we should do nothing until the people of that country do something for themselves first and that is to overthrow the junta in control then we should step in with aid. It’s a horrible thing to say but we cannot keep throwing good money after bad and aid provided now will probably go straight in to the pockets of the junta.
So many of the comments in the media are complaining about the US giving aid. What about your countries aid, have they done anything yet? We are far from perfect, but give it a rest already.
As a supporter of the French Doctors and Dr Kouchner, I would recommend the "humanitarian interference" i.e. blue helmets along with Red Cross getting in and cleaning up the mess. The people who run this country seem to deserve at least as much as Saddam, if not more, to be removed from their jobs and sent in an asylum for good. But no oil, no attack, right?
Remember, despots and dictators don't want a stong, healthy population or they would have the strength to revolt. The North Korean's people are so hungry they eat grass while NK breaks their deals for food. Cuba keeps their people suffering and weak as does Burma. Castro was strong and well fed when he revolted, not hungry & weak.
Perhaps I'm just another war-hungry American, but if there was ever a need for intervention, it is staring us in the face. And you have to give me that, it's easy to pretend nothing is happening there in Burma (I don't how to write the other name, but I'm sure we need to do something as Humanity)
So much reaction to Chinese oppression in Tibet, yet none that I have seen regarding Chinese influence over Myanmar affaires. Aid is not getting into Myanmar, because no one dares tackle China. Bit like Sudan. That politicians have to act scared, I can understand. But journalists?
China should be taking in problems of the world. They are in the drivers seat with the money coming in. The US and Europe can no longer afford to be doing this all the time. The country with the ability to pay for this should bear the duty of the mass problems.
This is tragic. However, we need to respect Myanmar's sovereign and treat as any other sovereign nation. They may well have good cause to not allow the rest of the world to wander and deliver relief goods to those in need. Tragic news in China today as well. I'm certain we plan to respect their right to receive and distribute relief with their own forces. I couldn't imagine our workers demanding free access to China.
Also before you militarilly intervene in Burma, you have to get the cooperation of China, India, and Thailand. In fact, all these three countries invest heavilly in Burma, so if you can offer them economic/political benefits to kicking out the current military junta, you might get them to cooperate.
While I support military intervention, I don't support having our troops on the ground, but I do support giving help to the Burmese who want to overthrow the gov. Probably fomenting a large armed uprising with allied air support will really overthrow the Burmese regime and install a democratically elected gov. Past peaceful demonstations failed since the military just shot them up.
If the ruling administration of Myanmar doesnt want help, then that is their choice. The UN did nothing when Aung Sung Su Ki was elected leader and placed under house arrest by the Military Junta. The Leader of the Junta spent $50.0m on his daughters wedding last year. $10.0m of aid is nothing in comparison. "You will have and accept it." Forcing Aid is no less than facism and allows dictatorships to perpetuate.
The US military could effectively take over control of large swaths of the affected areas, but the reality is that world opinion would view such intervention as being worse than the prospect of hundreds of thousands of Burmese dying from disease and starvation. Since there is no benefit to the US from unilateral intervention, you can bet that it won't take place. The World will eagerly offer token assistance, and then wash their hands of the whole mess. And let's go on to the next story...
If India can give to Myanmar arms and ammunations for free throug it troubled north east, then India must do everything to provide food for the troubled Myanmarese.
What's wrong with this picture? The US goes cap in hand begging to give folks in need free stuff paid for by hardworking American taxpayers and delivered by our overstretched, underpaid military and we still suffer abuse here for not giving enough or having some ulterior motives. I think it's high time we sit on our hands the next time there's a calamity like this and let you sage one worlders, leftists and pacifists sort it out. You're doing fine without us in Darfur and Zimbabwe already.
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