Posted by Damozel | Burma (Myanmar) has already had more than its share of trouble, and now this? As BBC News says, 'Until Saturday, a common view among Burmese people was that life could not get much worse.' This is the sort of story that makes you sit back and reflect on the grossly unfair way in which trouble seems to get distributed. Meanwhile, to get the full story you really have to turn, as always, to the British press.
Some 22,464 people are confirmed dead as a result of this killer cyclone. 22,464. (BBC News) And 41,000 are missing.(BBC News) Why isn't this being talked about to the exclusion of anything else?
What's happening right now that's more important than this? I'm embarrassed to be so uptight about the outcome of the Indiana primary. And even the dire threat of $5 per gallon gas just doesn't seem so bad compared to this level of death and massive destruction and despair for millions.
The announcement came as international aid agencies pushed to launch a massive operation in the worst-affected areas of the country.
Hundreds of thousands of people are said to be without clean water and shelter, with some areas still cut off....
More deaths were caused by the tidal wave than the cyclone itself, Minister for Relief and Resettlement Maung Maung Swe told reporters in Rangoon.
"The wave was up to 12ft (3.5m) high and it swept away and inundated half the houses in low-lying villages," he said. "They did not have anywhere to flee."
Some 95% of the homes in the city of Bogalay in the Irrawaddy river delta were destroyed, he added.(BBC News)
This is how bad things are: Burma's dastardly, monk-torturing military junta has said it will accept outside help.
In the wake of the crackdown on monks and other anti-government demonstrators in September, there has been a constant stream of calls by Western governments urging Burma to move towards democracy.
This is true. Even First Lady Laura Bush, wife of enhanced-interrogation supporting George W., called out Burma's military junta its ruthless crackdown.
And there was I suppose you'd call it progress or 'progress' of a sort.
After 15 years of stalling, Senior General Than Shwe recently announced that a new draft constitution had been completed, and would be put to a referendum to pave the way for democratic elections in 2010.(BBC News)
True, everyone assumed that the votes were rigged and there were allegations of intimidation, but at least it was a step in the right direction.(BBC News)
Now though, the elections aren't anyone's first priority. After first saying that the elections would not be postponed, the government has now decided to put it off in the areas that have been most affected by the cyclone. (NYT)
The postponement of the vote, a centerpiece of government policy, along with an appeal for foreign disaster relief assistance, were difficult concessions by an insular military junta that portrays itself as all-powerful and self-sufficient, analysts said.
"It suggests that they realize that they’ve got a real problem on their hands and have limited capacity to deal with this," said a Western diplomat in Yangon, speaking on condition of anonymity because of his embassy’s policy.
At his press conference, Kyaw Hsan, the information minister, conceded the difficulties.
"The task is very wide and extensive and the government needs the cooperation of the people and well-wishers from at home and abroad," he said.. (NYT)
The areas hit include some of those where there is most opposition to the government.
Residents have described a mood of anger and a grim resignation at the junta’s power since the military shot into crowds last September to quell a huge non-violent pro-democracy uprising led by Buddhist monks.
At least 31 people, and possibly many more, were killed during that uprising, and thousands were detained, including large numbers of monks.
There were several accounts over the weekend of monks leaving their monasteries to help clear away storm wreckage, even as the military offered little help to residents.(NYT)
Tales of Repression in Burma; First Lady Laura Bush Takes a Stand
In Burma, the Resistance and Repression Carry On (updated)
I heard Charlie Wrangle say that the NY delegation is full steam ahead and fully committed to Hillary Clinton. This is not over and the MSM can "suck it" for trying to "shove" Hillary out.
BTW - Obama took another day off today, sounds like he'll take the third Bush term. When things get busy - Obama checks out.
Posted by: Danny | May 07, 2008 at 07:55 PM