May 15, Irrawaddy
The perfect storm - Aung Zaw
A friend of mine in Rangoon called me this morning. "It's depressing and
upsetting-people in the delta region are desperately scavenging for food
and aid," he said, having just returned from a charity mission to the
devastated area.
But he added: "The survivors are coping as best they can. They are very
resilient and are putting their own lives back together. They haven't lost
their dignity."
I was relieved to know that in spite of all the heartbreaking re****ts and
horrific images coming out of Burma, the only one who had lost his dignity
was Snr-Gen Than Shwe.
In spite of the woefully slow response from the Burmese military
authorities-and the heartless blockade and misappropriation of aid and
supplies-the people of the delta are taking matters into their own hands,
standing strong, taking care of each other, determined to survive.
The generals are unyielding; the United Nations pathetic.
John Holmes, the UN's under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs,
whimpered: "The biggest problem we have at the moment is that
international humanitarian staff are not being allowed down into the
affected area in the delta."
On Wednesday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon held an emergency meeting
with select countries, including Asean, India and the five permanent
members of Security Council.
Briefing the media afterward outside the UN headquarters in New York, Ban
said, "There was some concern expressed that, while this will be a
humanitarian crisis, if we are not able to address this issue in a proper
way-reaching those people in need-then it may create inevitably some kind
of political issue. Therefore, we need to be careful about that."
The UN, by nature, is careful-often timid in its language-and takes a
gentle diplomatic approach to each of its myriad concerns. It has no
intention of picking a fight with Burma's generals. Ambassador after
ambassador at the UN emphasized that they didn't want to politicize the
issue.
That's why, to me, this humanitarian crisis has now become a man-made
disaster.
Than Shwe and his clique have failed in every regard-to issue cyclone
warnings, to plan an evacuation, to allow aid workers and supplies in,
even to the point of stealing the food and water marked for those victims
who are dying without it.
Then he turned his back on the horror in the delta and stole the
referendum as well.
Rightly so, Than Shwe is now accused of committing crimes against
humanity.
Like it or not, this crisis is a political issue and the UN has failed
again to grasp its own impotence.
The UN huffs and puffs and "ums" and "ahs" as war****ps containing hundreds
of tons of aid sit unsolicited in international waters, not a day's sail
from the delta. It sits on the fence while its leading members cry out for
humanitarian intervention.
With the United Nations apparently unable to move, the spotlight again
turns to Than Shwe and his diplomatic chess game.
After declaring a massive turnout and a victory in the referendum, the
former psychological warfare officer is now preparing to go on the
offensive.
In approving visas for aid workers from Bangladesh, China, India and
Thailand, Than Shwe shows he plans to again hide behind his neighbors and
allies.
"Even though Burma's military regime is denying aid to 2 million people
facing death, efforts at the UN Security Council to invoke the
'Responsibility to Protect' doctrine are dead as a doornail, mainly
because of Burma's ally, China," said Aung Din, Executive Director of the
US Campaign for Burma.
"It is time for countries to stop waiting for the [UN Security] Council to
act-which it won't-and commence immediate delivery of aid to thirsty,
starving and homeless Burmese now facing imminent threat of disease in the
Irrawaddy Delta," he pleaded.
But Than Shwe is-if nothing else-consistent. He will not buckle, nor see
the light or the error of his ways. He will continue regardless, callous
and deceitful as always.
Meanwhile, the so-called civilized world will keep on talking, "moving the
process forward," expressing their concerns and deep frustration.
Thankfully, the brave people in the Irrawaddy delta are not
procrastinators by nature. They are survivors. And their dignity will not
allow them to sit back and wait while their leaders and the rest of the
world abandon them.
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