The events of the cyclone in Myanmar has become one of the worst humanitarian disasters of recent times with people rotting in canals and rice paddies next to survivors who would surely die of disease unless aid comes fast. The military junta allows some aid to come in, secueing them and marking their names onto boxes as they hand them out in areas nearby the capital where there is little or no much effect from the cyclone. The suspicious eye on volunteers requesting for visas from the government as people continue to die. The UN not having any say on what to do, they say they can meddle under the rights of the many, but with many Western nations tied up in wars somewhere in the middles east and elesewhere in the world, no one is taking a firm stance. Only words and not enough actions.
Myanmar is considered to be one of the poorest nations in the world, ruled by generals and their minions of soldiers weho control the country and its riches, the people have little to go on. The disaster magnifies their aim to help the people, cantering efforts around glorifying and maintainin gtheir positions. The living standards in the country are poor compared to other developing countries that share their economic status. The country is rich in natural resources that are all taken by the military for their own self-preservation.
Food aid is gathered form depots and fresh rice taken by the military leaders, giving the rotten government stores to the survivors who say not even the dogs will eat them. The government has to open up and fast if they are to save the millions of people that are now facing horrible conditions. Control of the situation is their priority which even got to the point where all Western reporters or citizens were rounded up and detained to be expelled from the country. Soldiers commanding the population that they are not to say anything to Westerners amplify the public outcry. The country may be poor and the people much worse, but where is the human compassion from the rest of the world, why doesn’t the United Nations issue directives with respect to aid and military forces of member countries to go in and take care of a mess their own government can’t even handle? Politics is still the key and the hypocritical deafness of all to the cries of people who are suffering come second to world order. Even decorated and well respected people forms the UN are denied entry to manage the mass delivery of aid to stricken areas. Doctors without Borders has been denied visas along with many aid agencies whose people are just itching to get their hands into the thick of things to help the people of Myanmar. Why not do away with politics and just let the global community do what they can to get people back on track with their lives? You hold the key and we as a people of this earth must make out stand known, that people and lives come first!

Originally posted on May 10, 2008 @ 7:41 am

First, our sincerest condolences to the families left behind by the recent earthquake in China that has left more than 12,000 dead and the toll is expected to continue rising due to more areas that are still cut off but the strong quake. Just a quote, for I just can’t seem to notice the still crazy way the Chinese government has in terms of propaganda which it still uses as a main tool for spreading it’s word and keeping it’s hold on its people. Get a handful of photos from the State news agency and you see soldiers ready to go to battle with the search and rescue, soldiers rescuing people and soldiers marching on their way to help those buried in the quake. What about the millions of miserable people who are out there miserable without anything left to live in or eat? What about full aerial shot of the areas which are affected that may give the rest of the world a full view of the magnitude the disaster that is developing. People left to fend for themselves without regional disaster supplies and equipment to deal with such emergencies hence their leaders live in splendor of the capital city.
The government is getting praise for their swift efforts but as one of the largest economies on earth, shouldn’t people in local areas be trained to deal with such disasters. Imagine the worst hit areas, only one line of communication was left that allowed military planners and disaster experts in Beijing to know the magnitude, one government issued satellite phone and that was it. All the areas surrounding the major city center in the worst hit province has little known about their residents?
Focus more on the people and not on the rescuers and their efforts, to hell with the lavish parades as the Olympic torch makes its way through the country. Pull cash from the lavish displays and security in the torch relay and rush aid and people to the stricken areas. That should be China’s priority. In a country where the government is still trying to get used to money from the outside world, corruption still abounds. The collapsed school buildings are surely made of shabby materials and will surely be riddled with holes left by corruption in the ranks of the local officials and civil engineers who have approved the construction of such weak structures in such an earthquake prone area. When will they learn that the people come first and children are the future? Children are the worst hit with schools and other structures collapsing like matchsticks pan caking one after the other, a six story building reduced to a pile of rubble two meters thick?!! China has a lot of growing up to do in terms of people and with money pouring in from the rest of the world; the Chinese government is still pockmarked with corruption even with their displays of stiff penalties for criminals which goes to show that old tactics don’t work anymore.

Originally posted on May 13, 2008 @ 7:47 am