Myanmar police block aid workers; food piles up

Wednesday 14th May, 07:00 AM JST

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thedeath at 12:26 PM JST - 14th May

the myanmar tyrant is sick. too bad, no one want to really want to help the people overthere! it just like what we see in north korea.
presto345 at 02:08 PM JST - 14th May

The food supplies from overseas are a great boon for the unscrupulous leaders of the country. This is a fine chance to restock their warehouses and clear out decaying supplies to feed to the starving masses. Good job g00ns.
Hughgarse at 02:24 PM JST - 14th May

this`ll hit the million mark because of these idiots.
apecNetworks at 03:10 PM JST - 14th May

An Analysis

Myanmar/Burma has been subjected to extensive political/economic pressures, notably promoted by the US. Obviously, hard feeling exist and this pressure is attempting to expedient a "regime change". It does remind me of a "mini Cold War". Also, examine the effects of political/economic pressures had on Iraq prior to "shock and awe". The goal of political/economic pressure is to bring the present "govt" to its knees. This pressure is enough to even put ASEAN on the defensive, and ASEAN is an established forum. Thus, the present Myanmar/Burma Govt. would be adverse to any intervention on the part of countries implementing the political/economic pressures.
presto345 at 04:09 PM JST - 14th May

the present Myanmar/Burma Govt. would be adverse to any intervention They have been for only the past 45 years. What's new?
Sarge at 04:25 PM JST - 14th May

Today in front of the U.S. embassy in Tokyo there are people imploring the U.S. to save the victims in Burma. It's heart breaking.
apecNetworks at 05:33 PM JST - 14th May

It looks good as far as the US is acting consistently to what I forecasted in a previous post. It's going to make me prophetic. I like to call this, "Bingo Analysis".
Jyan_Bon at 05:58 PM JST - 14th May

If the International Community do not stand unanimously behind the UNSC to take EVERY POSSIBLE ACTION to help those victims, Myanmar Junta will let millions die of diseases,starvation and exposure. THE JUNTA DON'T CARE WORDS.

Meanwhile, to everyone's disbelief, Myanmar Embassy in London has sent invitations to Myanmar citizens in the U.K. to join "LEISURE BOAT TRIP" along Thames river on 15th June 08. You may like to enquire about this on 0044207-4994340.
smithinjapan at 10:25 PM JST - 14th May

The whole disaster and suffering elements aside, this reminds of the Simpson's episode where homer, Burns, and Smithers (I think) steal the 1 trillion dollar bill and go to buy Cuba. Castro and his men are gathered and are finally admitting their failure as a government, and are just about to give in to democracy when, 'yoink' he steals the trillion dollar bill, his government has their money and power back (as a result), and the three are ejected from the country on a raft.

It's a rather callous allusion, I admit, but my point is that the Junta could not go on the way it was going, and even (superficially) began trying to play with democracy (so long as Syu-Kim was barred), and they are using all the aid and power given to them by the UN and individual governments to restock and supply, while the weaker link is left to die out or survive in fear. It's a very very sad state of affairs, and the only POSITIVE element of my comparison above is that, while no one knew that the three idiots single-handedly save Castro's Cuba in the cartoon, in real life ever single country in the world knows just how evil the Junta is; I pray they will continue to do so, and put even more support and effort into changing things there.
usaexpat at 11:15 PM JST - 14th May

I agree with Triumvere, let's start doing airdrops as there is really no other way to get supplies in reliably. Bypass the criminal Junta and do the best we can to get food and supplies into the countryside. (Arms might not be a bad idea either)
Jyan_Bon at 12:10 AM JST - 15th May

To start doing airdrops, do we need UN's agreement? Because if we have to wait for the UN's agreement it will be blocked again by CHINA and Russia. Burmese military has about 30-40 small helicopters and 10 of them are not working. Only 6 of them are being used for carrying aid supplies.
WhiteHawk at 12:57 AM JST - 15th May

Sarge:

Today in front of the U.S. embassy in Tokyo there are people imploring the U.S. to save the victims in Burma. It's heart breaking.

Of course, who else would they turn to?

But since the U.S. (as I'm constantly reminded) has a massive deficit (thanks largely to spending 60% of its annual budget on entitlement programs, not 7% on the WOT as anti-American zealots claim), why do people keep expecting the U.S. to bail the world out? Why not turn to a country that has money in the bank?
Triumvere at 01:29 AM JST - 15th May

Air drops would have to be "unilateral", as we cannot wait for the UN to decide (read, veto.)

The only problem would be that it would end all possibility for putting relief workers on the ground (without an invasion force to back them up.)

Currently, Myanmar is letting in a tiny number of workers from nearby countries. But it is TINY. Diplomatically, this might be expanded, but the chance of success is very slight and there really isn't any more time to waste.

Hrrrrm. I wonder if they could just slap "A gift to they people of Myanmar from (ex: the US gov't) and the SPDC" on the air dropped aid, so that the Generals could take some credit (and would look especially bad if they went around repossesing it, when it claims to be from them in the first place).
Jyan_Bon at 06:52 AM JST - 15th May

It is inhumane for the rest of us to watch the human tragedy unfold in Burma and do absolutely nothing. A few token cargo deliveries are not enough especially when we do not know where the supplies are going. It can no longer be an excuse by saying "The military would not let us in" while millions of people are dying, children have lost parents, people live among corpses, and there is no food and clean water. Natural disasters are one thing. Man-made disasters are another. We are all now taking part in a Man-made disaster. We are all complicit with the Military government when we do absolutely nothing to bring immediate relief to the people of Burma. Please, some humanitarian intervention must be done through the UN to make sure that the people of Burma receive aid directly and immediately. Eugenia Kaw, United States
Everton2 at 01:40 PM JST - 15th May

This disaster has done more to expose the Juntas than anything else. They will forever and until they are opposed in someway be defined by how they handled this tragedy. They have been revealed for the evil that they are and sympathy will only grow for the people on whose heads they have their boots firmly parked. This entire episode may be a blessing in disguise for the oppressed people of Mayanmar