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MYANMAR JUNTA HOLDS UP RELIEF EFFORTS
FOR POWER OR PROFITS, GENERALS STONEWALL
Colonial, Imperial & Corporatist Powers Rattle Their Swords
Meanwhile chaos reigns even in Yangon (Rangoon). Millions remain homeless and destitute in the coastal provinces. Whether the strategy of exaggerating the crisis, if it is exaggeration, and feigning military action, if it is just a feint, will work remains to be seen.
"US diplomat: 100,000 may have died in Myanmar cyclone"
"France urges UN to force cyclone aid on Myanmar"
"EU Expands Economic Sanctions against Junta"
compleat links to aid organizations on the ground now in burmese disaster areas: donate now online
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The Junta still controls access to the country. As long as the international community continues to value the notion of sovereignty even above human life, the Junta's will must be respected. Since all governments rely upon sovereignty to rule in their own countries, it will take some doing to violate the principle in Myanmar.
The Bush administration has given a very bad name to the notion of regime change. Even the worst government on Earth can point to our debacle in Iraq as proof that our intentions are not legitimate, and our results largely negative.
But how long can the so-called international community stand by while thousands are dying, and millions suffering? If Africa is any gauge, quite a long time. But these are not Africans, in Burma. Racism still comes into play, though perhaps not as much. The Burmese army seems a bit of a paper tiger: Few if any helicopters, not much other war materiel. Strong enough to murder and intimidate their own helpless unarmed civilians, but no real match for a big modern military juggernaut. More of a very large, very brutal police force, really.
The French are taking point on this invasion, if there is one. The U.S., for once, seems to agree. The Brits are still tagging along behind Bush, despite Labor's electoral drubbings. Various nations have warships off the Myanmar coast. All that is lacking is a formal declaration. Some sort of UN fig leaf, perhaps. If the Chinese, Myanmar's only allies, sign off. Big if. Meanwhile, rotten bodies float downstream, coastal dwellers have no dwellings, food, water or medicine, and food riots loom in the cities.
The NGOs militated for regime change, even before the cyclone. The consensus seems to be that it is Time To Go for the Junta. But, without the will or the way to force them out, militarily, they remain in control. Threatening a regime like this may only confirm their paranoia, and make compromise impossible. Meanwhile, Burmese die. Every minute wasted is like mass murder.
I would recommend writing your representatives in government, and suggesting that they pressure ASEAN and Myanmar's neighbors, especially China, to break this impasse immediately, before there is bloodshed. If it takes a huge bribe to get cooperation, pay it. If it takes diplomatic wizardry of a Harry Potter order to make them an offer they can't refuse, make it. Then, if the Junta still refuse to cooperate with aid efforts, send blue-helmeted Para's, Marines, SAS, Ghurkas, Spetnaz, whatever it takes to quickly and decisively take control of the Irrawaddy Delta, and feed, clothe, house, and give medical care to the people. Use overwhelming force to cordon off the afflicted areas outside the cities, and use those areas as a staging ground to provide aid to the urban populations, via the Junta, if necessary.
Beyond that, if the regime does not collapse on its' own, a war is not in the best interests of these ravaged people right now. The international community should have done something years ago. But now is not the time.
"MYANMAR CYCLONE DAY THREE: RELIEF AGCYS"
"MYANMAR DISASTER UPDATE: 'PLEASE HELP' "
"CYCLONE NARGIS DEVASTATES MYANMAR"
"BURMESE HURRICANE DEATH TOLL HITS 10,000"
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