by twit
Another day, another outrage, another reason for war.
From the BBC on May 30, 2008, there are reports from Myanmar indicating:
Burma’s military government had begun to evict homeless families from some government-run emergency camps.
It has given them bamboo poles and tarpaulins and told them to go and rebuild their lives, say reports.
An estimated 2.4m people remain homeless and hungry following Cyclone Nargis, which struck on 2 May.
From the Guardian on May 30, 2008:
The UN says only 41% of the 2.4 million people affected by the cyclone have had any help, partly because of the Burmese regime’s exclusion of international aid workers.
From YouTube, “The Prime Directive debate”
update: From MSNBC on June 1, 2008:
“Due to the prompt work” of the military government, food, water and medicine was provided to all victims, [Deputy Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Aye Myint] said.
“I believe the resettlement and rehabilitation process will be speedy,” he added.
He spoke a day after human rights and aid groups criticized Myanmar for kicking cyclone survivors out of shelters and sending them back to their devastated villages.
… Aye Myint reiterated the junta’s official stance of welcoming international aid.
“We would warmly welcome any assistance and aid which are provided with genuine goodwill from any country or organizations provided there are no strings attached,” he said.
Shortly after the cyclone struck, the U.S., France and Britain sent warships loaded with relief supplies, but the Myanmar regime has refused to let them land, apparently fearing a foreign invasion.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday in Singapore he will make a decision within “a matter of days” to withdraw the U.S. Navy ships from the coast of Myanmar, because “it’s becoming pretty clear the regime is not going to let us help.”
As a result, he said many more people will die, particularly those in areas that can only be reached by helicopters.
Gates on Saturday called Myanmar’s rulers “deaf and dumb” over their refusal to accept outside help. He said Myanmar’s rulers “have kept their hands in their pockets” while other countries sought to help cyclone victims.
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