Article published May 09, 2008
Disaster in Myanmar
THE devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis has provided a chance for the military junta in Myanmar to finally join the world's family of nations. The country formerly known as Burma should accept the foreign aid that has been offered and welcome personnel from outside to dispense it.
With as many as 100,000 believed dead from the storm, Myanmar's rulers cannot possibly manage the scale of disaster relief that will be necessary in the Southeast Asian nation of 48 million mostly poor people.
So it doesn't make sense that aid of money and food from around the world, including $250,000 from the United States, is being accepted with a ban or severe restrictions on deployment of teams of personnel who could help distribute it effectively.
Such resistance to outsiders is not surprising, given Myanmar's history as a military dictatorship whose generals have kept a tight grip on the populace since 1962.
The world's willingness to help in the crisis, contrasted with the generals' intransigence, provides a dramatic illustration for the outside world of this undemocratic nation's internal problems, which is undoubtedly why First Lady Laura Bush took the opportunity to publicly challenge Myanmar's leaders to "meet the people's basic needs."
Personal and international politics aside, the misery inflicted by the cyclone deserves a strong humanitarian response. In turn, Myanmar's generals owe it to their people to accept aid so generously offered.
Permanent Link
|
|
 |
|
Search
advertisement
