leejo

One might say that about the 'burmese" govenment. I would LOVE for it to be working too. Maybe if we all just say they're doing a great job long enough, they will! Yay power of positive thinking!

Hey Amosely, do you think the UN should invade? With their mighty troops and their awesome operational proficiency? Maybe they'll let the US play a supporting role?

Switchcraft

That sarcastic attitude regarding UN effectiveness is counterproductive. Cuz like, if you want it to work, you gotta believe, man. Like, be positive and stuff.

leejo

What? Who me? I was just, you know, asking a question. You need to opt to be more civil.

Switchcraft

Other countries and organizations providing aid outside of the UN:

China, Indonesia and Thailand all got supplies, with their own national organizations, in before the UN. This is not the UN's fault, really...The UN had people inside Burma before the cyclone on an unrelated manner, but had to wait days for new visas to be approved for any new entries, which is why it took so long for them to do anything.

The ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) has urged Burma to let ASEAN assessors and relief workers into the country.
Canada wants Burma to let Canadian troops in to do assessments before releasing more money.
France wants to invade. Probably not with their troops. I'm guessing with US troops, but that's pure speculation based on prior performance.

leejo

ASEAN is is and has to be #1. Canada too!

However, this seems counterproductive to making the UN ever work, IF that's what they want. Instead of going it alone, ASEAN should have waited for the UN to direct the operation. Of course China, Indonesia, and Thailand may be considerably less fussy about what happens to the supplies after they've been delivered. Handed out to peasants, stuck in a warehouse for the junta's use. Whatever.

AMosely

Possibly. I've heard Ki-Moon criticize the delays with aid and visas and such, but not the leadership itself, at least not recently. If he did denounce the leadership, no, I don't think thats helpful right now.

Ferris Bueller

You guys oughtta read this, since none of you actually took my words to heart and just dived right back in to the political posturing. I figure it'll just fuel one side or the other, which one, I could care less. People are suffering and all anyone can focus on is how this government body is doing this and how that government body is doing that. Makes me sick to my stomach, truly.

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|TG-6th|Ferris Bueller

leejo

Truly?

Ferris, I don't think anyone disagrees that people are suffering, nor do I think anyone lacks the appropriate level of disgust for the current Myanmar regime who have truly shown their colors. I'm also sure that we all agree that everything must be done with all speed to help these people. Well short of using force to help them, anyway.

I'm sorry that you want to have one conversation and several of us are having a different discussion. Yes it is all very sad. Fact is that this happened a week ago and their government has basically sealed their fate. Don't get mad at me about it. I can't airlift supplies in, nor can I stop them. I'm just a guy with some opinions.

Switchcraft

Yeah, I'm not sure how linking to an article where a reporter accuses the junta of "criminal negligence" is somehow any different than the rest of us talking about how the best way to respond is. I come down firmly on the side of helping those people. What's wrong with discussion about our opinions how best to, or not to, respond?

ScratchMonkey

Are there any good sources revealing just what motivates the current Burmese government? Are they a new Kimer Rouge? Just how bad are they, and what has made them so distrustful of outsiders?

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SmokingTarpan

Well, look at it this way. I give $1 to the Red Cross. The Red Cross buys a bag of rice and takes it to Myanmar. The soldiers in Myanmar seize the bag of rice and ___________. Do you know where my $1 went? From the initial reports, it sure doesn't look like my aid would have been given to a starving family. I'm not against helping people that are suffering; I'm just against throwing aid into a hole that I don't know where the exit leads. You'd be a fool to just blindly send aid into an amazingly corrupt area; you have no way of knowing whether your money buys food or a mig fighter jet.

They seem to be along the lines of other publicly corrupt governments out there. Do what they say, no you don't get a vote and if you try to protest we don't mind shooting you because we have other citizens. As for why they're distrustful? Again, the same reason as a lot of other governments. They want to rule their country one way, and multiple more powerful countries are telling them to run it a different way.

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[squadl]
"I am the prettiest african-american, vietnamese..cong..person." -SugarNCamo

ScratchMonkey

And yet, that happens to me every April 15.

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AMosely

In terms of the types and volume of abuse, the Burmese junta is not a Khmer Rouge, who is estimated to have killed 1.5 million people through starvation and abuse. The Burmese military does jail, torture and sometimes execute opposition. While over the years there have been releases of political prisoners, the situation remains fairly grim, with public beatings and jailing of monks during the 2007 economic protests.

As is the case in many 'rogue' states in this world, the distrust is born from an unhealthy mix of internal instability, power/control and external forces of manipulation and influence at the hands of foreign governments. In the case of Burma, these influences mainly involve or involved China, Russia and the United States.

ThaDoctah

Or food for a MiG fighter jet.

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<Someone give me more training STAT!>