from SLATE's news summary (May 8): Major US daily newspapers > front the latest from Burma, where the top U.S. diplomat said the death toll from the cyclone could reach 100,000. Some aid began to arrive, but frustration keeps on increasing among foreign governments and relief organizations who say they're ready to launch a full-scale operation, but their efforts are being stymied by the country's military leaders, who are reluctant to let outsiders into the notoriously closed-off country. Actually, frustration doesn't even begin to describe what people around the world are feeling as the military junta seems willing to do everything in its power to let the suffering continue. Meanwhile, teams from several governments and numerous agencies are standing by in Bangkok just waiting for the go-ahead.
> The NY [TIMES] points out that France's foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, > said "it would only take half an hour" for French boats and helicopters to > reach the worst-hit areas, but the Burmese government isn't allowing them to > proceed. The impatience has grown to such a degree that Kouchner proposed > that the United Nations should invoke its "responsibility to protect" > doctrine and simply ignore the government's wishes. The idea was shot down by > others who said it would make the situation worse. Meanwhile, those on the > ground continue to describe horrific scenes of survivors surrounded by bodies > and animal carcasses, which, along with a general shortage of clean water, is > raising fears that an epidemic could break out.< I can't say anything positive about Burma's junta, but might some of their famous paranoia be justified? maybe some of them have read Naomi Klein's SHOCK DOCTRINE? specifically, does anyone know what kinds of strings are attached to disaster-relief aid? -- Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante. _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
