Relief Aid Denied by Myanmar: Accusations of “Criminal Neglect”
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Myanmar’s failure to provide aid and refusal to accept international aid to assist victims of a disastrous cyclone that left at least 135,000 people dead or missing has incited a plethora of bitter criticism and anger. While Myanmar’s military junta defends itself from the barrage of disparagement by deeming the country’s recovery process “prompt” and “speedy,” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates condemned the government guilty of “criminal neglect,” even going as far as calling the government “deaf and dumb.”
The United Nations has stated in the NY Times that as much as 2.4 million survivors face hunger and homelessness, a majority of whom are expected to suffer in the Irrawaddy Delta, a region hit hardest by the cyclone. Many parts of the delta are blocked from large-scale international aid. So far, Myanmar has given permission for 95 U.S. C-130 cargo planes to land in Yangon, the country’s main city, as reported by the NY Times, but the amount is insufficient compared to what could be dispatched from navy vessels. Four navy ships have been waiting for Myanmar’s permission to ferry its cargo to no avail; it is inevitable that the Pentagon will withdraw the ships in a matter of days.
A meeting in Singapore with defense ministers concluded in a unanimous opposition to violate Burmese sovereignty by forcing the transmission of relief supplies.The suffering will undoubtedly continue until Myanmar’s military regime reverses its policy; as Mr. Gates is quoted in the NY Times, “I’d say that unless the regime changes its approach, changes its policy, more people will die.”
