Posted May 8, 200817 yr The UN says it is extremely disappointed at the slow progress made in securing access to victims of last weekend's cyclone in Burma. Humanitarian chief John Holmes told reporters that Burma's response was "nothing like as much as is needed". In addition to about 23,000 people who died in the storm and tidal surge, 1.5 million are at risk, he said. The US has rejected an idea to air-drop supplies into Burma without permission, after its planes were denied entry. Some supplies have been allowed into Burma but many more tonnes of aid, and dozens of foreign staff, have not. In a statement, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that Burma's ruling junta planned to press ahead with a constitutional referendum on Saturday, except in the worst-hit areas. Four flights carrying supplies from the UN's World Food Programme arrived in Rangoon on Thursday, as well as an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) flight. But at least 40 UN expert staff are waiting in Bangkok for visas to enter Burma. Mr Holmes said two out of four members of a specialist UN disaster assessment team had also been denied access when they arrived in Burma, despite apparently having the correct documents. Secretary General Ban is trying to talk to the Burmese leader, Gen Than Shwe, to persuade him to remove those obstacles. Source: BBC News Is it our responsiblity to force aid onto the Burma military rulers, if they don't want it? As much as it's a terrible disaster, is it possible that the utter failure of the rulers to help their own citizens, by blocking emergency disaster relief teams from entering the country, and banning USA,France and UK planes from landing, might lead to the overthrow of this terrible regime?
May 9, 200817 yr tbh i dont think 'we' can help without the burmese governments permission, right or wrong .
May 9, 200817 yr Well we, and other countries, could stop selling them weapons until they actually let aid agencies in there to help the people.... I guess that's some sort of pressure we in the West could exert on them......
May 9, 200817 yr ..And now it transpires the Burmese military has actually seized the little aid that has made it into the country... Utter b/astards.... <_< I really hope that this precipitates a violent, anti-Govt revolution.....
May 9, 200817 yr the burmese gov wont allow aid to be distributed by foreigners, they are going to do it.... as if... <_<
May 10, 200817 yr Let's face it folks, if Burma had oil, we'd be in there like a shot doing our "regime change".... -_-
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