Japan to send fact-finding mission to Myanmar

Sunday 25th May, 06:31 AM JST

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Jyan_Bon at 07:24 AM JST - 25th May

Hopefully, this can get them to understand that, yes, there is a mood of solidarity and support in the international community, but that money won't come, and the support won't come, unless they open the door a little bit," one U.N. official said.

"The content of it is clearly much broader than a 'pledging conference' in the sense that the sole aim is not to raise money. The aim is to remove the various obstacles to getting assistance to the people," the official said.

Much of the fund-raising is likely to centre on the U.N.'s $201 million emergency appeal, which has racked up $57 million.

Three weeks after the disaster, junta supremo Than Shwe made what appeared to be a concession in telling visiting United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon that all foreign aid workers, regardless of nationality, would be allowed in.

However, even if they are able to travel freely around the storm-ravaged Irrawaddy delta, their findings will be too late to bridge the huge discrepancies in thinking currently between aid agencies and the junta.
GrouchyGaijin at 08:51 AM JST - 25th May

The Generals of Myanmar sincerely believe that a starving, weak and cowed population offers them no resistance. And while acting for show here and there, fundamentally, nothing will change. If a few hundred thousand peasants die for the cause, well, so be it.