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Ear to the Ground

U.N. to Resume Burma Aid

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Posted on May 9, 2008
Burma Cyclone Aftermath
Agence France-Presse

The ruling junta has denied foreign aid workers entrance into Burma, a prohibition that many relief groups feel gives too much power to the notoriously abusive Burmese government.

The U.N. has announced it will resume aid to Burma after conflicts over how food and equipment were to be distributed grounded relief flights. Cyclone Nargis has killed at least 22,000 Burmese, and the ruling junta has been categorically criticized for its ineptitude in dealing with the disaster.


The New York Times:

The United Nations suspended relief supplies to Myanmar on Friday after the military government seized the food and equipment it had already sent into the country but said it would resume the aid flights on Saturday.

The United Nations World Food Program said it would send in two relief flights as planned on Saturday, while negotiations continued with the government about the distribution of supplies.

Earlier, in a statement, Myanmar’s military junta said it was willing to receive disaster relief from the outside world but would not welcome outside relief workers, a key demand of aid agencies who want to coordinate and control their own aid.

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By hippy pam, May 10, 2008 at 7:25 pm #

I Couldn’t Agree MORE…And the good ole’U S of A is
so TAPPED OUT cuz of “shrub” and friends and all his B.S…..This used to be the #1 country and WE SENT $$$ AND AID TO EVERYONE[and most STILL OWE us the $$$$ back]As with ANY MONEY INSTITUTION-If you just take and never repay-pretty soon the institution is DEFUNCT-KAPUT-BROKE-and HAS NO MORE TO GIVE-Unless it is done to the DETRIMENT OF IT’S OWN CITIZENS….

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By Douglas Chalmers, May 10, 2008 at 4:38 pm #

There will be plenty of starving people everywhere in Burma for many months to come, hippy pam. If their main rice-growing region has beeen affected by the hurricane/tsunami, it will be a while before they can feed themselves.

That is the great opportunity for those in the USA who want to help. Sending shiploads of rice for months on end is far more appropriate than Fuckwit Bush absurdly “sending US Naval assets” (the cavalry to the rescue?).

Very disappointing to hear, though, that what Western agencies are already in Burma have been buying supplies “locally” and forcing up prices as well as creating shortages in the non-affected areas. Not very clever at all, uhh.

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By hippy pam, May 10, 2008 at 10:46 am #

“SHRUB” could have “THE WEDDING” in BURMA…after all Jenna IS A TEACHER-She could STAY THERE and do HUMANITARIAN STUFF…“SHRUB” could HIRE the BURMESE JUNTA to “DO SECURITY”...Using HIS OWN $$$OF COURSE..
When ALL WAS SAID AND DONE-The STARVING COULD HAVE THE LEFTOVERS…[cuz you know they are goin’ all out
for THE BIG BASH]-[cuz you know WE ARE STILL FOOTING THE BILLS]...

Report this

By Douglas Chalmers, May 9, 2008 at 9:09 pm #

You plan on building a $billion US embassy there soon too, no doubt, Expat?

Quote from blog comments re “Support the US govt. initiative to fly over without permission and drop relief package. Tough times and stupid juntas call for tough decisions…....?”

I agree. Wondering if you would have agreed to a similar endeavour during ‘Katrina’... http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/005178.html

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By Douglas Chalmers, May 9, 2008 at 8:49 pm #

Ahh, Expat, the French would love to return to SE Asia after being kicked out of Vietnam and Cambodia 50 years ago. That’s why Neocon creep FM Bernard Kouchner was screaming about “forcing aid” upon Burma with the UN.

As for the USA, they only want to pre-empt and usurp China’s influence in Burma. Having Bush “sending our Naval assets to help” is a threat in any terms these days.

ASEAN and China and India have already been shipping aid uninterrupted. The main problem is what to do with it once it arrives and the very limited infrastructure in the affected regions has also been damaged….. http://beyondsg.typepad.com/beyondsg/2008/05/cry-for-myanmar.html and also…...

A Burmese political analyst called Mr. Bush’s condition “a cheap shot.” The analyst, Aung Nain Oo, who is based in Thailand, said: “The people are dying. This is no time for a political message to be aired. This is a time for relief. No one is asking for anything like this except the United States.”

Exactly. If the USA, or any country, wants to offer humanitarian aid, I think that is wonderful. But the aid shouldn’t come with strings attached, or accompanied by lectures. Just help the people that need it, and keep your political and religious agendas to yourself. But that seems to be an impossible task for the “holier than thou” contingent. You would think those idiots in the Bush administration would “get it” by now. But no, they continue their same style of inflammatory, derisive diplomacy; criticizing and ridiculing other countries, rather than making a sincere attempt to engage in constructive dialogue. That means sitting down and talking to the other country, not lecturing them and calling then bad names…. http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/05/08/myanmar-slow-relief-work/

But the most hypocritical thing was the gathering of the Bush administration and Laura Bush which looked more like the old Dracula-like Adam’s Family as they suddenly and inappropriately announced some ridiculous award for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who they have left floundering there for years anyway.

When a reporter from Al Jazeera asked why the United Nations should not simply going into Myanmar, “invited or not,” Holmes replied tartly, “I’m not sure that invading Myanmar would be a very sensible option at this particular moment.” He added: “Would it actually get aid to the people who are really suffering on the ground any quicker? Personally I doubt it.” http://weblogs.thingsasian.com/tablogs/page/dgilliland?entry=b_storm_updates_and_political

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By Douglas Chalmers, May 9, 2008 at 8:24 pm #

Than Shwe’s daughter wedding - see how the pigs of the regime style themselves at others’ expense http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6YPsycc6Lc - and you can be sure that the diamonds are real!

Don’t forget though, that the USA’s Chevron oil and gas corporation is riding high there also…....

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By tres, May 9, 2008 at 2:41 pm #

The western countries are bunch of hypocrites. If you truly concerned about those poor people, why would you care how the food is distributed? Giving to the government of Myanmar to distribute would give it too much power? What a load of crap.

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By Expat, May 9, 2008 at 1:43 pm #

^ I must be a soothsayer; low and behold this article from the Asia Times.

The case for invading Myanmar
By Shawn W Crispin

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JE10Ae01.html

Check it out; you’ll like it.

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By Expat, May 9, 2008 at 1:23 pm #

^ I say we (America) go into Burma; blow the shit out of the Burmese Military; then get Aung San Suu Kyi and put her in power and leave 1,000 Blackwater killers to guard her and then leave.  It will take 4 hours tops!  Then our WWR (World Wide Ratings) will go up by at least 10%.

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