May 14, Democratic Voice of Burma
Junta divides and rules - Bo Kyi
We cannot allow politics to obstruct the delivery of assistance that can
prevent this grave humanitarian situation from getting worse," said US
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton yesterday.
However, like it or not, politics will shape the outcome of this
humanitarian crisis. The regime's refusal to allow international aid
workers with the necessary expertise into Burma to co-ordinate the
humanitarian relief effort - and its control over the distribution of aid
- is of course politically motivated.
Than Shwe's regime has long-operated a policy of divide-and-rule amongst
its own people, in order to maintain its stranglehold on power. Despite
the humanitarian crisis gripping the country, this policy is becoming ever
more entrenched. While the junta grants some privileges to those who
sup****t them, they oppress those they cannot control.
According to several reliable sources from Rangoon, general Thein Sein,
the junta's prime minister, yesterday spoke to a group of businessmen who
were assigned to carry out relief operations in the Irrawaddy delta area,
on behalf of the junta. They were allowed into the worst-hit areas as long
as they didn't bring cameras.
However, monks - who played such an im****tant role in the popular
uprisings last year - and ordinary citizens have been threatened and
intimidated by the military and their hired thugs for their efforts to
help.
Re****ts from the ground indicate that hospitals in the affected areas are
full of injured cyclone survivors. Doctors and nurses on duty are greatly
outnumbered by patients and are already at breaking point. Despite this,
the authorities are refusing help from Burmese volunteer doctors.
Re****ts have emerged of some doctors - who entered refugee camps to look
after emergency cases - being interrogated over and over again by local
authorities and branches of the Union Solidarity and Development
Association until they were forced to leave. In defiance of the regime
some of those doctors have started to build booths along the roadsides and
are giving free medical assistance to those who need it.
Millions of water purification tablets and other medicines have recently
been distributed to hospitals by international organizations and donors.
But doctors cannot distribute the medicines to the general population,
because they are so busy treating survivors. Stockpiles of medicines have
been seen just sitting in hospitals and dispensaries, when they should be
distributed urgently.
Like the other donated goods already siphoned off for sale at the markets
- UN raincoats, WFP towels - the medicines are likely to appear for sale
rather than go to the people who desperately need them.
The situation on the ground leaves aid workers and NGOs in a difficult
position. As foreign and local journalists are largely banned from
entering the devastated areas and re****ting on the crisis, it is
understandable that some aid workers say they are uncomfortable speaking
in public to re****ters for fear that associating with media could
jeopardize their relief efforts.
The regime - in particular Than Shwe - has long peddled its version of the
'truth' to both its own people and the international community, and holds
a deep mistrust of anyone who dares to tell the truth, regardless of
whether they are Burmese, Asian or Western. In order to satisfy general
Than Shwe, elaborate aid-giving ceremonies are being staged, showing the
generals handing out aid to people in daily news bulletins. It is pure
propaganda to hide the truth that ordinary Burmese people are facing death
and destruction on a massive scale.
The regime doesn't want its people to be united. It doesn't want countries
to be united. And now the military regime is using its divide-and-rule
policy among key international players like the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations, China, India, the US and the European Union.
The policy is designed to protect the regime's power and privileges, and
in the longer term, to win international legitimacy and sup****t for its
state constitution. We should be careful of such tactics.
Whilst the principle of national sovereignty should be respected, that
should not be at the cost of human life. If a debate on national
sovereignty continues to divide the international community's response,
key international players risk falling foul of the junta's divide-and-rule
tactics.
Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of ASEAN, recently stated that the
Burmese junta asked ASEAN to lead aid efforts because of its "lingering
suspicions" of Westerners. Given the regime's widespread mistrust of
anyone outside of its military forces and state-sponsored groups like USDA
and the Swan Arr ****n, ASEAN should beware any attempt by the regime to
hide behind the "legitimacy" of its ASEAN member****p in order to
manipulate the situation to its advantage.
Even though the international community and humanitarian experts have
vocally expressed their worries about the crisis unfolding in the country,
the military regime doesn't seem to share their concern.
After a meeting with navy Commander-in-Chief Soe Thein, Timothy Keating
head of the US Pacific Command re****ted, "[He] characterized activity
there as returning back to normal -- his words," Keating said. "[He said]
people are coming back to their villages, they're planting their crops for
the summer season, the monsoon will come and wash all the saltwater out of
the ponds. His manner, his demeanor, his attitude indicated something less
than very serious concern."
Than Shwe is playing a dangerous political game by obstructing the
delivery of vital aid which would prevent this grave humanitarian
situation from worsening. In order to avoid the further loss of human
life, the international community must stand united and enter Burma now to
deliver the aid which is so desperately needed.
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