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

On Fri, 9 May 2008 16:26:58 -0700 (PDT), "ltlee1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"
<ltlee1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

>On May 9, 6:49 pm, 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 saying that
>> >no matter how shameless and horrible the junta is, we should bend over
>> >backwards to comply with their edicts, even if it means more people
>> >will die. Sovereignty is im****tant but in so is saving lives, arguably
>> >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.  There is no place for
>> good and evil battles.  Do what is possible first and that is to get
>> drinking water food and shelter, medical supplies to the disaster
>> site.  Who gets the supplies is irrelevant at this moment.  The
>> im****tant thing is to get the stuff there on the ground.  Then argue
>> about the fairness and the morality of allocation.  
>
>Good point. Another unwarranted assumption is that foreign aid workers
>will deliver fairly and/or effectove;u. As a matter of fact, western
>aid effort has bad track record.  Michael Maren, a long time American
>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 with
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 on
marine radio channel 16 (the calling channel). The English language
communication was all about fleeing toward deep water where one would
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 only
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 vans;
living in, very nice thank you, air conditioned houses; drinking and
partying at night and "helping the people". One example I particularly
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, only
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 Thailand,
the Indonesian government kicked out between 30 and 40% of the "aid
workers" who the government stated were guilty of contributing nothing
to the aid efforts - simply driving around and partying.

Perhaps the Burmese, having observed the "foreign aid" efforts in
Thailand didn't want any.

Cheers,

schweik
(Correct Address is goodsoldierschweikatgmaildotcom)