=====
Zomi says:
The selfish thieves and murderers do not care about human life, as long as
that life belong to others. They have been plundering national resources,
enriching themselves while impoverising the people. They have been
killing
innocent children, women and monks. They have been raping Shan and Karen
women.
Highlights:
In a rare White House press conference, US first lady Laura Bush today
urged
the Burmese government to accept foreign aid after the devastating weekend
cyclone while chastising the regime for not informing its people of the
impending disaster.
Bush acknowledged the tension between sanctions and disaster aid, saying
economic blocks "seem to be the only kind of pressure the US has put on
Burma".
Still, the first lady hardly tempered her condemnation of the regime's
tactics. Bush said she was troubled that Burmese state-run media did not
sound the alarm at reports of the cyclone's approach, leaving some
citizens
unaware that Nargis was headed in their direction.
Burma is slated to vote on Saturday on a constitutional referendum that
experts and western politicians consider a fig leaf for the regime's
continued plundering of national resources.
=====
9.30pm BST / 4.30 ET
Laura Bush urges Burma to accept US aid
* Elana Schor in Washington
* guardian.co.uk,
* Monday May 5 2008
* Article history
This article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Monday May 05 2008.
It
was last updated at 21:23 on May 05 2008.
==
Photo:
0505_lbush_460x276.jpg
Laura Bush
US first lady Laura Bush delivers a statement on Burma at the White House.
Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP
==
In a rare White House press conference, US first lady Laura Bush today
urged
the Burmese government to accept foreign aid after the devastating weekend
cyclone while chastising the regime for not informing its people of the
impending disaster.
Bush long has taken a personal interest in the plight of the Burmese. The
first lady's plea to - and criticism of - the Asian country's oppressive
military rulers was a stark departure from her usual preference to remain
out of the Washington spotlight.
"The response to the cyclone is the most recent failure of the regime to
meet its people's basic needs," Bush told reporters.
She asked the Burmese government to admit US state department disaster
response teams that so far have been barred from entering the country. The
regime has accepted targeted foreign cash assistance through the US
embassy
in Yangon.
The administration of Bush's husband has levied harsh economic sanctions
on
the senior members of the regime, leading to concerns that the Burmese
would
refuse aid from their American foes.
Bush acknowledged the tension between sanctions and disaster aid, saying
economic blocks "seem to be the only kind of pressure the US has put on
Burma".
Still, the first lady hardly tempered her condemnation of the regime's
tactics. Bush said she was troubled that Burmese state-run media did not
sound the alarm at reports of the cyclone's approach, leaving some
citizens
unaware that Nargis was headed in their direction.
Burma is slated to vote on Saturday on a constitutional referendum that
experts and western politicians consider a fig leaf for the regime's
continued plundering of national resources. Democratic advocate Aung San
Suu
Kyi, whose party was elected to lead Burma in 1990, remains under house
arrest and cut off from the outside world.
Bush denounced the referendum as a "confirmation of the unacceptable
status
quo" and prodded the regime to consider a delay or cancellation. Reports
from diplomats in Burma, however, suggest the government plans to hold the
popular vote as scheduled.
The first lady was not alone in warning the Burmese against rejection of
foreign aid. Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton made a
similar
appeal today, as did Nancy Pelosi, the congressional speaker who is third
in
line for the presidency.
"The regime must show leadership to provide for the basic survival needs
of
the Burmese people," Pelosi said.
Bush also confirmed that the president tomorrow would approve legislation
awarding the US congressional gold medal to Suu Kyi. The same award was
presented to the Dalai Lama last year, sparking an angry response from the
Chinese government, but Bush was sceptical that Suu Kyi would be able to
appear side by side with a US president.
"They might let her come accept" the medal, Bush said. "It's unclear that
they'd ever let her come back."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/05/burma.usa
=====
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