8 May 2008
It’s sad to see the situation in Myanmar. Formerly known as Burma, this small Asian country is ruled by a very repressive military government. I spent 10 days there in 1981 and as a tourist had to follow an itinerary set up by the government and was only allowed to visit certain cities. At that time, one could only get a 7 day or 10 day visa. Many attempts to overthrow the current regime have failed, most recently last September, when a pro-democracy movement led by monks was violently suppressed killing at least 31 people and probably many more.
The costal section, known as the Irrawaddy Delta region was dealt a terrible blow four days ago when a cyclone hit. Thousands have been killed and possibly a million people are homeless. Many villages are under water. The government of Myanmar has refused to let foreign aid help it’s people. Aid from all over the world is waiting nearby to assist with food, boats and relief teams but the powers to be in Myanmar will not give visas to aid workers. Very few foreign media people are allowed in Myanmar so word of the current situation in the country is trickling out from aid agencies, residents and diplomats based there. With bodies of people and animal carcasses floating in the flooded areas, health issues are beginning. People are fighting over dwindling supplies of food and clean water.
The United Nations has a resolution “responsibility to protect†civilians but has yet to invoke that resolution to allow the delivery of international aid even without the junta’s permission. While the world waits to enter Myanmar, thousands of people are dying. There is enough death in this world without more deaths being added because of a paranoid military government.
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