U.S. Urged to Divorce Politics from Aid to Myanmar
UNITED NATIONS, May 7 (OneWorld) - A major U.S.-based humanitarian aid group is urging the Bush administration to revise its aid policy toward Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) and provide immediate assistance to the cyclone victims in that country. "Now is the time to support the Burmese people" said Joel Charny of the aid group Refugees International in a statement urging the U.S. government to change its funding policy on Myanmar. The United States has put severe restrictions on humanitarian aid to Myanmar, and provides less aid to the country than any other major donor nation, the group said Monday. Despite the U.S. constraints, however, many international agencies and aid groups are currently operating inside that country. Last weekend, Myanmar was hit by a devastating cyclone which killed tens of thousands of people. Latest reports suggest that over 1 million people have become homeless and tens of thousands are missing. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the population of the declared disaster area is estimated at 24 million, with about 6 million in the country's main city, Yangon (formerly Rangoon). On Monday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the lack of communication was making it difficult to know the extent of casualties and damage, but added the UN "is prepared to mobilize international aid in support of the government." Humanitarian organizations fear the death toll in Burma will escalate dramatically unless aid is delivered to victims in the next few days. Most people already live in poverty, and have no resources to cope with a disaster on this scale. Charny, who was in Myanmar just a month ago, recently authored a report, which reflected his group's growing concerns about the impact of the current U.S. constraints on aid to that impoverished and repressive southeast Asian country. "International donors are recognizing the tremendous need, and the obligation to end the humanitarian restrictions that constitute an additional punishment for the Burmese people," he wrote, describing the U.S. policy as a "glaring exception to this trend." The cyclone has hit Myanmar at a time when preparation for a nationwide referendum are in full swing. The government is due to hold the referendum on constitutional changes on May 10. Aid groups say they are wary of its possible adverse impact on humanitarian efforts inside the country. "The referendum will offer a new opportunity to express international disapproval," said Charny, "but the humanitarian response to the needs of the Burmese people should be divorced from the political situation." Some U.S.-based groups have already taken several initiatives to provide emergency aid to Myanmar's cyclone victims. On Tuesday, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said it is sending an emergency team to Yangon to lay ground work for urgent assistance. "The communities hit by the cyclone and the government face enormous challenges in responding to a disaster of this scale," said Greg Beck, IRC's regional director. "With our years of emergency experience, we are hopeful that we can help bring critical assistance." A top United Nations humanitarian official said he was prepared to provide a grant from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to help thousands of people who have been affected by the deadly cyclone. CERF was set up after the 2004 Asian Tsunami. In 2004, the government in Yangon, which is often suspicious of foreign aid agencies, refused to accept international help for its people affected by the Asian tsunami. However, this time the government seems willing to allow humanitarian groups to move in. "The government of Myanmar has indicated that they are open to international assistance," UN humanitarian chief John Holmes said in a statement Tuesday. "We appreciate the government's announcement that it is making available approximately $5 million from its own resources." Meanwhile, in calling for an end to U.S. restrictions on aid, Refugees International's Charny suggested that Washington should adopt a more nuanced response, which sanctions the Burmese leadership for their undemocratic behavior, while supporting the people through increased humanitarian aid. "UN and international aid groups have demonstrated their ability to work independently of the [Myanmar] government," he said. "It is entirely possible to provide assistance to the people without benefiting this repressive government. "The U.S. should increase humanitarian aid, regardless of the outcome of the constitutional referendum." OneWorld TV: Helping Mine Victims in Myanmar
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"The Burmese junta needs to reform"Author:
Khurtai Kornkhaw
Time: 05/12/2008 13:56
Comment: Let the recent Cyclone Nargis devastation be a test case, on whether the Burmese junta is sincere to the well-being of the people of Burma.
If past experience is of any indication, the junta is only interested in monopolisation of political power and enslaving the whole population. All sorts of human rights violation perpetrated by the junta is there for all to see. One only need to look into AI, HRW and other rights groups’ websites to witness its gross human rights abuses. The bottom line for the junta is to stay in power for as long as possible, even at the expense of thousands of human lives. The reluctance to let in international aids and the relief experts, which the junta is not capable and not willing, is a glaring example of how the junta sets priority, where the treatment regarding recent cyclone victims of the Irrawaddy delta is concerned. As such, the junta first needs to reform along the line of altruism and strive to become a responsible member of the international community, which includes looking and protecting the population its govern and not slaughtering them at will just to cling on to power. Further, we all should also remember that the junta is an illegitimate regime, which has no mandate to rule. Once, a convincing first baby step is made, on the part of the junta by opening the political arena for all to participate in a fair and sincere manners, the badly needed aids and other development and capacity-building will surely follow. In concrete terms, it would mean, the release of all political prisoners, nation-wide cease-fire arrangement and all-inclusive political participation of all parties and ethnic groups inhabiting Burma. Until then, continuous massive aids, except for this natural disaster, would likely be on a case-to-case basis from the part of the donor countries. |
"Roy Boy, interesting but I can't agree"Author:
j w
Time: 05/10/2008 06:24
Comment: I respect your opinion and would probably agree if the article wasn’t dated Wednesday. Its blend of post-cyclone quotes with pre-cyclone US policy is objectionable. The first three paragraphs say, “…cyclone victims…now is the time to support the Burmese people…the US has put severe restrictions on humanitarian aid to Myanmar, and provides less aid to the country than any other major donor nation.”
Linking those statements is morally and factually wrong. The US didn’t restrict humanitarian aid after the cyclone. Even the headline's present tense implied that on Wednesday the US was still refusing to send disaster aid in the name of politics. Nonsense! The article never mentions the USG government’s immediate offers of cyclone disaster relief. It easily could have. US attempts at assistance were well-documented by Wednesday. Seems to me bashing good Samaritans waiting for permission to help is irresponsible. If the point is really to help the Burmese people, be objective. Or write two stories - one about pre-cyclone US policy and one about what the US did after the cyclone hit. But this story can't have it both ways - the US should be caned for linking aid to politics, even if the facts prove otherwise. The quote about assisting without benefitting the Burmese government also apparently began with, “UN and international aid groups have demonstrated their ability to work independently of the [Myanmar] government." Although the article states this as a fact, this week proved just how inaccurate that is. North Korea and several African countries also come to mind. We want to help those people too, but like Burma, their governments can make that difficult. Nonetheless, aid paid for by taxpayers or other well-intentioned donors deserves better media treatment. A government’s nauseating disregard for its people is the story here. Using tragedy as an excuse to bash the US in print is simply irresponsible. The third estate has a responsibility to do better. |
"makes sense to me"Author:
Roy Boy
Time: 05/09/2008 07:13
Comment: j w,
No one disputes that the Myanmar/Burmese gov't is way out of line in holding up aid efforts, and that the U.S. government has definitely sent some important aid and is trying to get it to the people in need. But that didn't seem to be the point of this article. Seemed to me that the this article was talking about the U.S. government's politicization of aid to Myanmar before the cyclone. The article said the Refugees International people were commenting about the situation based on their trip to the country a month ago -- obviously before the cyclone. We all know about the Myanmar gov'ts obstinateness thanks to the deluge of coverage on that subject since Sunday. But this article raised some interesting points that I haven't seen elsewhere -- especially: "The United States ... provides less aid to the country than any other major donor nation." And: "It is entirely possible to provide assistance to the people without benefiting this repressive government." |
"What are you smoking?"Author:
j w
Time: 05/08/2008 14:01
Comment: Don't mean to be rude, but this article is utter nonsense.
The US has a C130 cargo plane full of emergency supplies standing by in Thailand as of this moment, ready to deliver in Burma, sorry, Myanmar. More US aid is stacked up behind that. Whoops! The ruling junta STILL hasn't granted foreign aid workers (or aircraft) permission to enter the country. People are dying but they won't let 'outsiders' help. They asked for the money instead. And it's the US that needs to divorce politics from aid? Please... |
"US aid"Author:
Helmut Eversheim
Time: 05/08/2008 12:51
Comment: Mother Nature recognizes no nations, boundaries, or politics. Neither should the heart
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