BURMA'S CRISIS

NEWS.com.au (7 May): 'Burma's Cyclone Toll Hits 22,500, Aid too Slow'

For those of you who may still be unaware, Burma (Myanmar) has been hit by Cyclone Nargis over the weekend, with current official count of fatalities at 22,500, and the numbers are expected to rise significantly. Yes, that's right, more than 20 thousand dead so far. That is not a typo. There are also many more (est 41,000) missing, and millions have been left homeless with severe shortage of food, water, and temporary shelter. Rice fields, a major source of food staple and income, have been destroyed.

This is Burma's worst natural disaster, it has completely devastated the nation and the junta (military government) is having a hard time dealing with this crisis. It has appealed for international aid, but aid is being held up because of the delays in the granting of visas to humanitarian groups. Military Burma has had a awkward relationship with the rest of the world, especially the United States, and its pride and xenophobia (fear of foreigners) is holding it back from opening the country up to immediate and unrestricted assistance.

The UN, humanitarian groups, and the United States are gathering resources and ready to help. Hopefully, the junta will acknowledge the severity of the situation soon and grant visas immediately and allow U.S navy in to assist in the massive distribution of aid.

This crisis is major and it is crucial we keep up to date on what is happening. If you're not sure where or what Burma is, it is in Southeast Asia. It is the home of Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of General Aung San (the founding father of independent Burma), the prominent pro-democracy leader of the National League of Democracy in Burma, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and who has been under house arrest for 12 years for her political activities.