| Myanmar after the hurricane under the Maoist Junta's yoke |
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 [ In the image: The UN's Ban Ki-moon visits Myanmar as limited foreign pressure is applied to the junta ]May 23.- On Thursday May 22nd the United Nations secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, flew in to Myanmar to tour part of the country devastated by cyclone Nargis, three weeks ago, and perhaps to meet General Than Shwe, who heads the military regime that runs the country. The millions of victims of the cyclone have now endured three weeks of misery while the regime has dragged its feet on letting in international aid. Many inhabitants of the Irrawaddy delta remain homeless and hungry, sheltering wherever they can from the continuing torrential rains. Lord Malloch Brown, a British minister, said after a visit this week to Yangon, the main city, that the regime seemed to be suffering from the “Panglossian” delusion that things were not so bad. Sean Keogh of Merlin, a British medical charity, who has spent nine days in the delta, describes the situation as “desolation absolute”. International pressure has persuaded the junta to open the country’s doors a bit wider. The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) is being allowed to bring in ten helicopters to ferry supplies down to the delta. At a meeting of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Myanmar agreed to let in hundreds of medical and relief workers from neighbouring countries. But it again rejected America’s request to be allowed to let its navy ships deliver aid directly to the delta. America, France and Britain all have naval ships loaded with supplies waiting off Myanmar’s coast ... [ full text ] Note from the Editor: Latest reports indicate that corrupted government officials are appropriating much of the foreign aid for their personal benefit; food and other supplies –clearly marked from aid sources– is being sold openly in many cities and towns. |
