Re: U.N. 'furious' as Myanmar aid 'seized'

On May 11, 2:13=A0pm, "ltl...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
" <ltl...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On May 11, 4:07=A0am, Good soldier <Decypher_addr...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Sat, 10 May 2008 12:14:37 -0700 (PDT), bmo...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote:
> > >On May 10, 8:27=A0am, "ltl...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
" <ltl...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote:
> > >> On May 9, 9:54=A0pm, Good soldier <Decypher_addr...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> > >> wrote:
>
> > >> > On Fri, 9 May 2008 16:26:58 -0700 (PDT), "ltl...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"
>
> > >> > <ltl...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> > >> > >On May 9, 6:49=A0pm, PaPaPeng <PaPaP...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> > >> > >> On Fri, 9 May 2008 14:47:02 -0700 (PDT), bmo...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote:
> > >> > >> >What if only one grain of rice reaches the people? You're
sayin=
g that
> > >> > >> >no matter how shameless and horrible the junta is, we should
be=
nd over
> > >> > >> >backwards to comply with their edicts, even if it means more
pe=
ople
> > >> > >> >will die. Sovereignty is im****tant but in so is saving lives,
a=
rguably
> > >> > >> >moreso in this case. It's too bad the junta is in charge.
They =
don't
> > >> > >> >deserve to be.
>
> > >> > >> This is a human disaster not a morality play. =A0There is no
pla=
ce for
> > >> > >> good and evil battles. =A0Do what is possible first and that
is =
to get
> > >> > >> drinking water food and shelter, medical supplies to the
disaste=
r
> > >> > >> site. =A0Who gets the supplies is irrelevant at this moment.
=A0=
The
> > >> > >> im****tant thing is to get the stuff there on the ground.
=A0Then=
 argue
> > >> > >> about the fairness and the morality of allocation. =A0
>
> > >> > >Good point. Another unwarranted assumption is that foreign aid
wor=
kers
> > >> > >will deliver fairly and/or effectove;u. As a matter of fact,
weste=
rn
> > >> > >aid effort has bad track record. =A0Michael Maren, a long time
Ame=
rican
> > >> > >aid worker had written a book with the title of "The Road to
Hell:=
 The
> > >> > >Ravaging Effects of Foreign Aid and International Charity."
>
> > >> > Having watched both the Thai and the Foreign aid efforts after
the
> > >> > Tsunami in Phuket I must say that I now view the foreign effort
wit=
h
> > >> > considerable scepticism.
>
> > >> > I was approximately 10 miles east of Phi Phi Island when the wave
> > >> > passed under us. There was immediately a large amount of activity
o=
n
> > >> > marine radio channel 16 (the calling channel). The English
language=

> > >> > communication was all about fleeing toward deep water where one
wou=
ld
> > >> > be safe if there were after shocks.
>
> > >> > When we passed Phi Phi harbor, about 2-3 hours after the wave
hit, =
we
> > >> > noted two Thai boats involved in evacuating survivors. No foreign
> > >> > boats were observed.
>
> > >> > We arrived at Phuket on the day following the Tsunami and
observed
> > >> > convoys of Thai, private and military, vehicles carrying food and
> > >> > water into all the tsunami effected areas of Phuket Island. The
onl=
y
> > >> > foreigners observed were crowded in Immigrations and the air****t
> > >> > trying to leave Thailand.
>
> > >> > I heard or read nothing about any foreign aid workers for about
two=

> > >> > weeks and then they appeared in droves -- driving new trucks and
va=
ns;
> > >> > living in, very nice thank you, air conditioned houses; drinking
an=
d
> > >> > partying at night and "helping the people". One example I
particula=
rly
> > >> > remember were some collage students "helping" the Thai fishermen,
> > >> > who's boats had been lost, build new boats. A task that the
Thai's
> > >> > have been doing for hundreds of years and the students,
apparently,=

> > >> > for a week. Note: They were not helping by supplying materials,
onl=
y
> > >> > unskilled labor.
>
> > >> > The "aid workers" seemed to congregate on Phuket and Kao Luk
(north=
 of
> > >> > Phuket), both places having "adequate housing" and a "decent"
night=

> > >> > life. None were seen at the more remote and primitive islands
south=
 of
> > >> > Phuket where entire fi****ng villages were inundated.
>
> > >> > I don't claim that I saw everything that happened after the
Tsunami=

> > >> > but food and water labeled in foreign language was not evident
and
> > >> > there seemed to be little organized "foreign aid".
>
> > >> > In N. Sumatra, where there were actually more deaths then in
Thaila=
nd,
> > >> > the Indonesian government kicked out between 30 and 40% of the
"aid=

> > >> > workers" who the government stated were guilty of contributing
noth=
ing
> > >> > to the aid efforts - simply driving around and partying.
>
> > >> Interesting account. Thank you for the info.
>
> > >This thread is absurd. There was a huge effort to help people after
> > >the tsunami. And they did help. Just as there are many aid workers
who
> > >are ready to help in Burma. If you can't see that, and can't see what
> > >the generals are doing to hurt their own people, you are blind.
>
> > Well, I was there and I have been in Thailand for nearly forty years
> > so I do have some idea of what is going on and I can assure you that
> > the foreign aid workers I saw in both Phuket and Kao Luk were
> > accompli****ng nothing that would not have been accomplished without
> > them.
>
> Some American organizations also sent their workers to help out after
> Katrina. I think the state government asked them to contribute. The
> team I know did not really go into New Orlean. But operate somewhere
> outside where it was safe. The volunteers did not have much to do. And
> certainly did not do anything that would not have been accomplished
> without them.
>
> > Further, few, if any Thai's are aware, today, of any assistance
> > furnished by foreign aid workers. Had there been any real help given I
> > can assure you that it would be common knowledge amount the people who
> > received it. I also did not see any foreign food or water being
> > distributed.
>
> May be the aid workers need motiviations too. In this case, foreign
> re****ters taking pictures would have set the wheels tturning.


The Mexican Army sent out a convoy to New Orlean.  The re****ters or
the news media didn't cover their operation.  I never read any news or
saw any video on TV of the Mexican Army help at New Orlean.