Where is the Outcry Over Myanmar

[Gawain 0]

Where, oh where, is the mighty UN and the cries over the Military Junta's refusal to help the typhoon victims?

Oh yeah, that's right, the UN is going to let the 100,000 grow even larger through non-aid, bad water, no food, no shelter...nothing...because the UN doesn't actually wield any meaningful power to cause change.

So, the US, who has no fewer than a half dozen loaded C130s and a few C17s filled with aid, and a naval group in the area, is not being allowed to help for reasons that are not being explained very well. Xenophobia?

My guess is that an epidemic will break out, and someone, somewhere, will point the finger at the US for not doing enough.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[quade 4]

You're bagging on the UN like they haven't tried; they have.

Sigh.

Unfortunately, you can't force a country to accept your help.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Skyrad 0]

I tutted.

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[nerdgirl 0]

Good question.

I've been asking that question since I became aware of the 8/8/88 student uprising against the SLORC and the subsequent detention of Aung San Suu Kyi (the democratically elected leader).

Where's been the outcry with respect to the reports of use of slave labor (ethnic Karen minority) in the north of the country for building a pipeline? Outcry over humans rights abuses throughout Burma?

Is your indignation really about Burma?

Btw: UN to resume Burma food flights, UN aid flights to Burma under way, UN resumes Burma cyclone aid flights, UN aid convoy reaches Burma. Excerpts:

"The convoy, which crossed the border unhindered, included two trucks carrying 20 tonnes of material, such as tents and tarps, the agency said in a statement.

"UNHCR officials at the border were to supervise the loading of the material on to Burma trucks, then accompany the convoy to Rangoon, it said.

"Meanwhile a UNHCR-chartered plane left Dubai to begin airlifting 100 tonnes of material, including tents, blankets and kitchen sets.

"The UN said that at least one million survivors of last week's cyclone have not received aid yet, with emergency supply shipments still held up by the regime.

"A shipment of high-energy biscuits that could feed 95,000 survivors remains impounded by customs at Rangoon airport, the World Food Program (WFP) said, while few visas have been given to key aid staff."

VR/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[434 2]

We are pointing the finger at China!

[tonyhays 86]

I blame global warming

“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”

[misaltas 0]

Quote

Unfortunately, you can't force a country to accept your help.

A country, or those currently in charge?

But yes. A corrupt, neglectful military dictatiorship refuses aid delivered by the strongest foreign military in the world, which happens to be engaged in two battle theatres at the moment.

Big surprise.

Maybe if the US had exhibited less imperialistic tendencies since the end of the cold war, the Burmese strongmen would have been more likely to accept our help.

And no, I didn't just say this is the US's fault. But answers aren't always black and white are they.

Also doesn't help when the current headline on CNN.COM says "Time to Invade Myanmar?" Ugh. Nice.

Ohne Liebe sind wir nichts

[kallend 2,106]

Quote

Also doesn't help when the current headline on CNN.COM says "Time to Invade Myanmar?" Ugh. Nice.

Why not - we did such a great job getting the Mission Accomplished in Iraq, and we caught OBL so quickly in Afghanistan.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[lawrocket 3]

Nobody cares about Myanmar. Had it been Burma people would be really up in arms.

Okay, jokes aside...


You know that the aid that IS being delivered is being stamped with the names of the military generals' names stamped on it.

The UN has made efforts. But, like just about anything about the UN, what the hell good is it?

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[christelsabine 1]

Quote

....
The UN has made efforts. But, like just about anything about the UN, what the hell good is it?

It's not first time I had to notice how airy you (beeing a laywer if I remember right) are giving shallow comments.

You should know better, Mr. Shyster. It's not only the UN whose help strictly has been rejected by local military government. Actually, several (Western) countries DO consider to kinda "infiltrate" help into that shaken country.

Ya know, "help" does not always correspond to "invade" ...

dudeist skydiver # 3105

[kelpdiver 2]

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Maybe if the US had exhibited less imperialistic tendencies since the end of the cold war, the Burmese strongmen would have been more likely to accept our help.

And no, I didn't just say this is the US's fault. But answers aren't always black and white are they.

Sorry, you are saying that, and it's completely outside the problem. Like with North Kora, and Iraq under its former dictator, the leadership is not taking good care of its people, and these particular ones are directly killing thousands. To accept aid could lead the people to see that they should be doing better. With the destruction of crops, it could get really bad latter in the year.

Is it the only such failure out there in recent time - of course not. Natural disasters get exposed more quickly than other human tragedies - Sudan didn't just happen overnight, but only recently has become so prominent in mass media.

[BillyVance 34]

Personally, it is my gut feeling that the military junta could care less about the millions of its poor people. Thousands of them die? So what? That's thousands that won't be able to raise objections or participate in protests against the junta. The junta undoubtedly is going to look really bad in the international community when this is all over.

In the immediate aftermath of the cyclone, the government did clear roads and clean up, but ONLY in the wealthy areas where the junta's officials and their families live. They didn't even bother to send the military out across the affected poor areas.

And now they want THEIR name stamped on incoming international aid supplies, and won't let aid personnel come in? Fuck them.

We should not have to provide any aid to them as they clearly rejected our offer. Let China deal with the mess.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Skyrad 0]

Quote

Where's been the outcry with respect to the reports of use of slave labor (ethnic Karen minority) in the north of the country for building a pipeline?

I think you'll find the answer is in the question.

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[thirdworld19 0]

Quote

Where, oh where, is the mighty UN and the cries over the Military Junta's refusal to help the typhoon victims?

Oh yeah, that's right, the UN is going to let the 100,000 grow even larger through non-aid, bad water, no food, no shelter...nothing...because the UN doesn't actually wield any meaningful power to cause change.

So, the US, who has no fewer than a half dozen loaded C130s and a few C17s filled with aid, and a naval group in the area, is not being allowed to help for reasons that are not being explained very well. Xenophobia?

My guess is that an epidemic will break out, and someone, somewhere, will point the finger at the US for not doing enough.

I thought that the government was more than happy to accept the food, money, goods - they just don't want the aid workers to come in. They want us to ship them the aid and leave it for the government to dole out.

[Andrewwhyte 1]

Why would there be an outcry? How much oil do they have?

[tbrown 26]

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Why would there be an outcry? How much oil do they have?

I wuz gonna say, this sounds like an opportunity for some regime change, but if they don't have any oil, why bother ?

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[nerdgirl 0]

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How much oil do they have?

Enough natural gas to keep FINA-TOTAL quite interested.

One example: in 2005, a UK-based NGO found:

TOTAL as the largest European corporate funder of the regime. The Yadana gas project, in which it is a partner, is believed to earn the regime [i.e., the military junta] between $200m to $450m a year.

TOTAL’s presence in Burma influencing French, European Union and British foreign policy on Burma, as France vetoes effective EU sanctions in order to protect TOTAL.

Horrific human rights abuses committed in the region of TOTAL’s gas pipeline by pipeline security forces.

Arms sales closely linked to TOTAL’s gas project. The regime used its first downpayment for gas exports to buy 10 MIG jets from Russia.

It’s not just FINA-TOTAL, there are at least 27 companies from 13 countries (including, but not a majority from the usual suspect China) working with the Burmese government for oil and natural gas-related contracts.

The US House and Senate have been passing resolutions for many years condemning Burma’s undemocratic, oppressive regime, e.g., recent history of House & Senate bills related to Burma. Generally these resolutions have overwhelming bipartisan support, i.e., everyone who is actually present on the day the vote is taken votes ‘aye,’ except Rep Paul, who votes against them (on principle).

And natural gas is not the only commodity of interest.

Uranium (“yellow cake”) is also mined in Burma. A couple years ago there was a lot of chattering among the wonkish w/r/t nuclear proliferation … pursuing purchase and assistance from Russia for a light-water research reactor, short-range surface missiles from DPRK, connections to Iran & Syria …

[sarcasm]
Almost makes one wonder if there is a rogue-state checklist circulating on the under-net?
[/sarcasm]

VR/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[Andrewwhyte 1]

Well why didn't they say so. When do we go to protect our fellow people's freedom. Perhaps an initial "shock and Awe" strike would be a good way to start.

[shropshire 0]

Quote

someone, somewhere, will point the finger at the US for not doing enough.

Gawain, Sir, Why does America like to play the victoim so oftern these days EVEN before anyone picks of them -

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[nerdgirl 0]

Update:

Yesterday’s Defense Blogger’s Roundtable featured USAF Captain Trevor Hall, who piloted the first US relief flight to Burma.
Transcript & audio mp3 available.
Couple photos.

Excerpts from DefenseLink, “Pilot of First Burma Relief Mission Describes Experience”:

Everyone … was so ecstatic or excited to have us there on the ground. With very little broken English that we could make out, they were trying to say: ‘Please bring more; please bring more.’

“The first hour was spent unloading all the supplies that we brought in, because [the Burmese military] did have to hand-offload all of the cargo,” [Air Force Captain Trevor] Hall said. “They offloaded it all directly off our plane and placed it into military trucks and drove it to a different staging area on the airport.” … “We were received very graciously. … Obviously, [the Burmese military] knew we were coming, and they were planning for us,” he said.

When the U.S. aircrew landed, they saw a Hellenic Air Force C-130 plane from Greece, two Malaysian C-130s, and some Indian planes, as well.

Following the first relief flight May 12, Hall said, the U.S. Marine Corps transported similar items yesterday, and more relief flights are continuing today.

The Air Force crew, consisting of six basic crew members and two maintainers, flew from the Utapao Royal Thai Navy air base, in Thailand. Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, and Henrietta Fore, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, accompanied the crew on the mission.

After landing at the airport, Keating, Fore and a member of Thailand’s government met with Burmese government officials, Hall said. After their two-hour meeting, the crew returned to Bangkok, Thailand, where Keating and Fore continued to coordinate further relief efforts.

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[Skyrad 0]

An e-mail I recieved...

Quote

I am writing to you from Yangon, Myanmar, where emergency relief efforts in response to Cyclone Nargis are now in their second week.

It’s raining heavily, further complicating relief efforts. It is unbelievably miserable and dangerous for thousands in temporary shelters. Time is of the essence.

Save the Children’s first plane load of relief supplies arrived on Monday, May 12th. It passed government inspection and is currently being distributed in some of the hardest-hit areas of the delta region.

In the coming days, we will need your help more than ever to help us expand our work to assist children and families most affected by the storm.

The good news is that about 115,000 survivors have been reached with lifesaving supplies including rice, water, oral rehydration solution, plastic sheeting and other urgently needed materials. The staff have been purchasing supplies locally within Myanmar and speeding them to families in need — by truck and by boat.

By mobilizing Save the Children’s 500 aid workers who live in Myanmar, we are able to get to the most vulnerable children and families. Thirty of our child-protection staff are being trained to assist children who have been separated from their families, and we hope to get significant family-tracing activities going in as early as a day or two.

The spread of disease is one of our biggest concerns, as is the increasing number of diarrhea cases among children. And while that does not seem serious for Westerners, we know that diarrhea is a major killer among young children in the developing world. Save the Children’s oral rehydration solution can save the lives of many of these children.

While our work is not easy, our hopes and spirits are strong. I’m told that as our team in Pathein was loading a boat, some local people — struggling themselves — arrived and offered to help. That really brought tears to our eyes. Their generosity and kindness, like yours, makes all our efforts worthwhile.

Andrew Kirkwood
Myanmar Country Office Director
Save the Children

P.S. We’ve just learned that for a limited time, donations made for Save the Children’s work in Myanmar will be doubled by a special matching gift from the nonprofit group Not On Our Watch, founded by George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and others (up to a total of $250,000 raised). This means that your gift today could go twice as far.

http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca