Cyclone In Myanmar

As expected, a lot of contagious diseases are spreading, just 3 weeks after the cyclone.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080526/ap_on_he_me/myanmar_cyclone_disease

Miriam Silbey

Despite the conclusion of the author in the article Sandra referenced, I believe that if the Burmese government continues refusing obviously needed outside help, every tactic should be used, including force as a last resort.

For one thing, public health issues in one country ARE the business of other countries.  Remember how SARS started in China and then quickly spread everywhere?  The Burmese generals are not endangering just their own people, they are endangering the whole world with potential disease!

Also, if aid workers, protected by militaries from foreign countries, simply videotaped their activities on the ground in Myanmar, and sent the vids around the world on CNN, YouTube, etc, would the generals want to be seen trying to stop aid efforts?  And if they did, wouldn’t it lead to a quick end to their brutal regime?

Kumar Viswathy

Here’s a link to an interesting article which poses an important question:  should foreign countries use force to reach the starving and homeless victims of the cyclone, even though the government forbids their entry?

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-gartonash22-2008may22,0,3046956.story

It seems likely that many thousands more will die if the stubborn Myanmar government continues to refuse foreign aid. What do you think?

Sandra Evans

 Remember, to post here just log in (see the ‘login’  link on the right column near the bottom of this page)

Use the ID ‘guest’ and the password ‘guestpost’.

The site Joanna refers to is freerice.com.  It’s quite an intriguing concept.

John

Does anyone remember the name of the spelling game you can play for grains of rice?? Maybe we could talk to site officials about organizing a segment for Myanmar. What do you think?

Another thought is posting on TED, you propose what you are willing to do if X number of people will join you . . .

My son is a musician and I have asked him to see if he can write a song that will help create awareness with a call to action! (wish I could sing Joanna

The most reputable organization we have found to get aid quickly to the Chinese earthquake victims is Global Giving. Reach them at globalgiving.com/china

Please help us spread awareness of the latest practical information about both the Burma (Myanmar) cyclone victims and the situation in Sichuan, China, where the terrible earthquake happened.

To post, log in with the user name ‘guest’ and the password ‘guestpost’. And please tell everyone you know who has valuable expertise that can help the victims.

Here are some photos of Myanmar from before the cyclone hit:

BRUSSELS, May 13 (Reuters) - The European Union urged Myanmar’s military junta on Tuesday to allow aid and aid workers to the 1.5 million people facing hunger and disease in the aftermath of cyclone Nargis, diplomats said.

The statement agreed by EU development ministers at an emergency meeting supported other humanitarian initiatives that could be taken in the United Nations framework, but stopped short of endorsing France’s call for the world to deliver aid without the reluctant military junta’s agreement, they said.

France, Britain and Germany, called for the U.N. principle of the “responsibility to protect” to be invoked to force aid into Myanmar if necessary, France’s junior minister for human rights Rama Yade said earlier on Tuesday.

Source: Reuters

Deliveries of aid to Burma to help cyclone victims are arriving sporadically, as aid agencies continue to face obstacles set by the regime.

The UN’s World Food Programme says two more plane-loads have been impounded by the authorities, who say they welcome aid but want to control distribution.

Read more here

Source: BBC News