SubscribeBurma Junta Rejects Aid From US Warships
From those humanitarians at the Associated Press:
Myanmar shuns aid from US warships; UN urges more relief
By JOHN HEILPRIN, Associated Press Writer
BANGKOK, Thailand - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Myanmar to focus on saving lives, not on politics, after the military government on Wednesday shunned a U.S. proposal for naval ships to deliver aid to cyclone survivors.
The U.N. says up to 2.5 million survivors of Cyclone Nargis face hunger, homelessness and potential outbreaks of deadly diseases…
Before leaving U.N. headquarters, Ban said the world body had finally received permission from the junta to use helicopters to carry aid to stranded victims.
His announcement was not immediately confirmed by officials in Myanmar.
Myanmar’s state-controlled media said that U.S. helicopters or naval ships were not welcome to join the relief effort.
The New Light of Myanmar newspaper said accepting military assistance “comes with strings attached” that are “not acceptable to the people of Myanmar.”
The report cited fears of an American invasion aimed at grabbing the country’s oil reserves.
The United States, as well as France and Great Britain, have naval vessels loaded with humanitarian supplies off the Myanmar coast, waiting for approval from the junta. The article did not say whether the French and British supplies would be allowed.
The four U.S. warships in the region were seen as a major potential boost for the relief effort with the capacity to deliver supplies to inaccessible areas of the low-lying Irrawaddy delta, with 14 helicopters, two landing craft vessels, two high-tech amphibious hovercraft and about 1,000 Marines.
American military aircraft are already sending aid on about five flights a day from Thailand to Yangon.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Wednesday that the four U.S. Navy ships off the coast of Myanmar will remain there in hopes that officials of the military junta might yet approve delivery of aid by U.S. helicopter.
Asked how long the ships would stay, Whitman said: “For now, we think the need is compelling enough that we ought to keep those ships there.”
The New Light of Myanmar gave no explanation why the regime was willing to accept aid flown on U.S. C-130 cargo planes, with U.S. military personnel on board, but would not allow the warships and helicopters to deliver relief supplies.
Myanmar’s xenophobic leaders appear to have long feared an invasion by the United States, a concern that some analysts believe prompted the junta’s abrupt decision in 2005 to move the capital from Yangon to the remote city of Naypyitaw, which is equipped with bunkers…
Before leaving New York, Ban welcomed the junta’s “recent flexibility” in saying it will allow relief workers from the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations — of which Myanmar is a member — to begin distributing aid…
The U.N. weather agency said the storm warnings issued by Myanmar to alert its population about Cyclone Nargis were sufficient and heavy loss of life as the storm hit was inevitable.
Warning times of five to seven days would have been necessary, said Dieter Schiessl, director of the U.N. agency’s disaster risk reduction unit. Such early notice is beyond the current state of weather prediction technology, he added.
Of course it was somewhat difficult to get past the first sentence:
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Myanmar to focus on saving lives, not on politics…
Do as the UN says, not as they do.
Though to be fair, it should be noted that the United Nations doesn’t focus on either as much as they do on ways to line their own pockets.
That is always job one with them.
Myanmar’s xenophobic leaders appear to have long feared an invasion by the United States, a concern that some analysts believe prompted the junta’s abrupt decision in 2005 to move the capital from Yangon to the remote city of Naypyitaw, which is equipped with bunkers.
But they’re not crazy. Not much.
Don’t they realize that they are beloved by the Democrats who rule Congress and their minions in the media?
Indeed, they are their model state. What they hope to someday achieve here at home.
And of course the UN feels the same way:
The U.N. weather agency said the storm warnings issued by Myanmar to alert its population about Cyclone Nargis were sufficient and heavy loss of life as the storm hit was inevitable.
Meanwhile, the UN is still investigating the Bush administration for its criminal handling of Hurricane Katrina.
It was ever thus.
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9 Responses to “Burma Junta Rejects Aid From US Warships”
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May 21st, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Has anyone thought of an air drop into Myanmar aka Burma? BTW also to show how really clueless and useless the UN is - they sent condoms. Survival is questionable - housing and food and potable water probably non-existant and the wise ones at the UN send condoms?!? Probably paid for by US taxpayers.
Enough - this insanity that is modern government and beauracracies needs to stop. Cut the money and the power grabbing shyters and scammers will be out of business.
May 21st, 2008 at 4:54 pm
What the junta fails to realize is that the USA is the only country capable of sending enough aide to rescue the populace from starvation and disease. In about six months, that junta will be about a million people short, and wonder where their support has gone. Myranmar doesnt exist. Burma does, and I feel that within a short time, it will be Burma again….albeit without the ruling junta. One can only hope anyway.
By the way Wardmama, that idea of an airdrop crossed my mind too…..just do it, and screw those pigs in charge. By the way, the condoms represent exactly what the UN usually does to a country in need…so it isnt any surprise that they sent them.
May 21st, 2008 at 5:08 pm
The big problem with air-drops is it has to be low and slow. Puts a big bullseye on American air crews. A few were downed at Khe Sanh.
Tom
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:39 am
“Condoms? We don’t need no stinking condoms!” My apologies to Mel Brooks.
If condoms were included in the support package sent after Katrina, the folks in New Orleans probably said the same thing.
May 23rd, 2008 at 4:29 am
“Warning times of five to seven days would have been necessary, said Dieter Schiessl, director of the U.N. agency’s disaster risk reduction unit. Such early notice is beyond the current state of weather prediction technology, he added.”
Yea, but all they need to do was ask Al Gore, and he could have told them what was going to happen for the next 20 years.
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:04 am
The US still hasn’t used its secret disaster relief weapon: Ray Nagin. Send Ol’ Ray to Burma with his unsanction uni and his horse, that will rally the people. This goes beyond katrina, the whole WORLD could use a little more Ray.
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:15 am
Nagin could really show that junta how to rake in huge amounts of money, bamboozle the locals into keeping them on, and grift tons of supplies…..and do it from the comfort of an air conditioned office! I can hear him now….” lets make myranmar a “chocolate country!”……and every peasant gets a new wide screen TV….even though the nearest plug is sixty miles away across the Thai border. But they do look bitchin in them new Nikes!
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:41 am
Oh yeah, start a whole new Ray Nation. The flag would be a goat )(*&^*&^ a football.
May 25th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Well, if anything, they are ballsy, from the UK Telegraph;
Call me callous or heartless but I don’t believe the US should give them a single dime. They made their bed, let them lay in it for now.