Myanmar has always been an eyesore to the international community. The nation has been in the grip of a brutal military dictatorship since 1962, and has in the past canceled elections that gave Aung San Suu Kii (the daughter of the founder of Burma) the majority, and ever since then, they have placed her in house arrest (it’s soon going to be 20 years now).
But their current actions have outraged the international community much more strongly. Around 3 weeks ago, a strong cyclone, ‘Nargis’, struck the country and brought with it a storm surge that struck the Irrawaddy Delta, carrying a 12 foot high water wave that caused immense devastation and sorrow to the country. First reports were that the storm caused the death of thousands (ten thousands) of people and led to a disaster situation. In such cases, the normal reaction of the international community is to mobilize aid, and get aid workers in to help in the distribution and relief planning. The military junta ruling the country however refused to let aid workers in, stopping many at the airport and stopping media and others as well. Even aid supplies that were sent in were confiscated (with the military claiming that they will organize the distribution).

continue reading "Myanmar says that it will now allow aid workers to enter"