US official: 1 shipment to be allowed to Myanmar – Yahoo! News
WASHINGTON – The governing military junta in Myanmar has agreed to allow a single U.S. cargo aircraft to bring in relief supplies for victims of a devastating cyclone, the Bush administration said Friday. White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the United States welcomed the go-ahead to land a U.S. military C-130 in the country on Monday. He said he hopes this is the beginning of continued aid flowing into Myanmar from the United States, other nations and international relief agencies.
Earlier Friday, Ky Luu, director of the U.S. office of foreign disaster assistance, had said that skilled aid workers were being forced to sit on the sidelines as victims of last week’s cyclone were dying. His comments reflect mounting frustration among the United States and other countries as they wait for permission from the military-led government to begin trying to help. Johndroe also said that while the U.S. still has limited leeway to help, “One flight is much better than no flights.” The breakthrough came after days of waiting on the U.S. side. It is not yet known what supplies will be included. U.S. aircraft have been positioned in Thailand and elsewhere nearby waiting for permission to transport supplies to the cyclone-devastated country.
The U.S. military has C-130 cargo aircraft and about a dozen helicopters in the region, ready to fly supplies into Myanmar. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Friday that the aircraft could reach Myanmar in a few hours. Johndroe said he could not speak to one specific cause for the breakthrough, but added: “Clearly the junta has determined that the magnitude of this disaster requires additional assistance.” Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962. The current junta came to power after snuffing out a 1988 pro-democracy movement against the previous military dictatorship, killing at least 3,000 people in the process. The junta also violently crushed protests last year. Officials have said that up to 1.9 million people are homeless, injured or threatened by disease and hunger, and only one out of 10 have received some kind of aid in the six days since the cyclone hit.
What is going on here? Is this a matter of pride, population control or just plain incompetence? I cant help but think back to our own disaster in New Orleans when we turned down help offered by other countries while people were dying. Of course we all know, in that case it was just plain incompetence.
I was reminded of the very same refusal of foreign aid, by our government. Only in the case of US, it can only be assume that government has deeper pockets to afford the relief. And it was simply embarrassed for acting so slowly (if at all). Whereas Myanmar hasn’t got squat, and yet still refuses help. Perhaps their military leaders are thinking “Great surplus population reducer, these cyclones”. The aid would probably just go to feed the rich and well connected, so naturally they don’t want any foreigners telling them who to save.
New Orleans, our own incompetence? Yes it was. Thinking you can build below the water line and never have a problem.
Why doesn’t the US of A invade Burma to help those citizens and bring “Democracy”?
#3 – Simply. There’s nothing there that we want or need, like Oil! And nothing that any of our allies want or need there, like Oil, gold, diamonds, etc. I doubt that they even have the infrastructure to be a useful cheap labor force. Can’t get the goods in or out. And like New Orleans, they were living too close to sea level. The poorest of the nation’s population was probably forced to live there. This was bound to happen, eventually.
The ruling military junta sees this disaster as a cleansing. As far as their concerned 500,000+(?) deaths from a natural disaster is a convenient way to rid themselves of their citizenry problem. Taking advantage of the initial disaster, they will allow many more to die in the aftermath. Simple thinking really, less public – less public discourse.
The remaining 46 million need to rise up and take back their basic human rights from the junta’s military arm of just over 700,000 members. The problem is guess who only has the guns. Guess who is considered one of the best seasoned armys in Southeast Asia. Guess who will remain poor and barefoot.
The junta could care less for the half-million and the rest that die from this. They don’t have to and they won’t.
The US sending only one plane is just an excuse to pretend to care. This disaster has been going on since 1962+/-. Comparisons to New Orleans is shameful thinking by simple minds concerned only with the appearance of self importance. And #3 your comment only displays your bias lack of understanding anything beyond your own irony.
#4
Myanmar has one thing some in the US and rest of the world want – heroin. Pirates like myself have been providing ‘foreign aid’ or money for heroin export since 1948. In fact it is the only aid the common people can get. All other official aid is turned into weapons or indulgence by the junta.
Ok people. Don’t go comparing this to Katrina. The US government offered it’s help and LA Gov turned them down. The problem with NOLA wasn’t because the government is incompetent but because LA is incompetent as well.
And while these people point to show just how incompetent, they then change their tune to promote Gov Health care. How pathetic.
Cyclone Nargis
Was not much fun
Yet Myanmar spurns help
From everyone
BURMA SAVE
What’s happening in Myanmar (Burma) is a disgrace beyond belief. If you ever wondered what TRUE crimes against humanity looks like THIS IS IT.
The world should bring this military junta down and help these poor people build a better future for themselves.
SO much for the UN. They should immediately vote at a security council for the UN to take control of that country.
Junta, schmunta – this is about doing the right thing. Yeah, I know .. there is too much paperwork to fill out.
All over the intertubes people act shocked that the gov’t of Burma is acting this way. Amazing.
They are that naive & PC.