U.N. Chief Convinces Myanmar To Accept Aid

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Emerges From Meeting With Junta Boss, Apparently Victorious

(CBS/AP)  U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says Myanmar's junta has agreed to allow "all aid workers" into the country to help cyclone survivors.

Ban's comments came after a crucial two-hour meeting Friday with the previously inflexible junta leader, Senior Gen. Than Shwe.

When asked if he thought the agreement was a breakthrough, Ban told reporters, "I think so."

Myanmar's junta has until now refused to allow an unimpeded influx of foreign aid and experts to reach survivors of the May 2-3 Cyclone Nargis. At least 78,000 people were killed and another 56,000 are unaccounted for.

An estimated 2.5 million people are in need of aid. Most are women and children at growing risk of starvation, disease and exposure to monsoon rains.

Ban arrived at the remote capital of Naypyitaw after a flight from Yangon, 250 miles to the south. He witnessed some of the cyclone's devastation during a carefully choreographed tour Thursday.

Urging Shwe - who had earlier refused to take Ban's calls from New York - to allow the aid and experts to reach survivors had been the highest priority on the secretary-general's agenda.

Pro-democracy activists had urged Ban to also bring up the fate of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose latest period of detention expires Monday. A string of U.N. envoys have in the past failed to spring the democracy icon from house arrest, confronting a junta that has proved virtually impervious to outside pressure.

The 76-year-old Than Shwe - reclusive, superstitious and known as "the bulldog" for his stubbornness - has held virtually unassailable power since 1992.

As Ban's visit proceeded, the regime appeared to ease some of its restrictions on foreigners.

France-based Doctors Without Borders said it now had some foreign staffers working in four areas of the hard-hit Irrawaddy delta, which had previously been virtually off limits to non-Myanmar relief workers.

A second French cargo plane loaded with 40 tons of relief supplies was due to land Friday in Yangon, while Canada said it would lend its biggest military aircraft, a C-17 cargo lifter, to deliver U.N. World Food Program helicopters to Myanmar.

The regime had earlier allowed the U.N. agency to bring in 10 helicopters to fly emergency aid to stranded victims.

Ban's firsthand look at the devastation wrought by the storm left the secretary-general shaken Thursday, even though the areas to which he was taken were far from the worst-hit.

"I'm very upset by what I've seen," Ban told reporters after a walk through a makeshift relief camp where 500 people huddled in blue tents at Kyondah village in Dedaye township, about 45 miles southwest of Yangon, Myanmar's largest city.

Myanmar's military regime has been eager to show it has the relief effort under control despite spurning the help of foreign disaster experts and has trotted out officials to give statistics-laden lectures to make the point.

But the U.N. says up to 2.5 million cyclone survivors face hunger, homelessness and potential outbreaks of deadly diseases, especially in the lower-lying areas of the Irrawaddy delta close to the sea. It estimates that aid has reached only about 25 percent of them.

The places Ban visited - the Kyondah Relief Camp and the town of Mawlamyinegyun, an aid distribution point - seemed well-organized.

But the destruction in the areas around them was relatively mild compared to that farther southwest in the townships of Labutta and Bogalay. Officials gave no explanation of why Ban was not taken to those areas, where the preponderance of dead and missing are reported.

The International Red Cross said that rivers and ponds in Bogalay remained full of corpses, and that many people in remote areas had received no aid.

U.N. officials traveling with Ban said they were discussing with Chinese authorities whether Ban could tour the earthquake zone in Sichuan directly after leaving Myanmar. The officials requested , citing protocol.

The trip, which has not been finalized, would give Ban the chance to compare the two countries' responses and urge China - Myanmar's biggest ally - to put its weight behind opening the flow of aid workers.

As Ban began his visit, foreign aid agencies stressed the need to quickly reach survivors suffering from disease, hunger and lack of shelter.

"In 30-plus years of humanitarian emergency work this is by far - by far - the largest case of emergency need we've ever seen," said Lionel Rosenblatt, president of U.S.-based Refugees International.

Yangon residents did not seem optimistic that Ban's visit would make a difference.

"Don't just talk. You must take action," said Eain Daw Bar Tha, abbot of a Buddhist monastery on Yangon's outskirts. "The U.N. must directly help the people with helicopters to bring food, clothes and clean water to the really damaged places."

At the United Nations in New York, France pushed for a U.N. resolution authorizing the delivery of aid to survivors "by all means necessary" if pressure from Ban and Myanmar's neighbors does not open the aid pipeline quickly.

[petro49l]

Yangon should allow the docking of ships with relief supplies. The Americans, French, and British bring emergency aid for the people. There is no need for victims of this storm to die from disease, starvation, thirst, and nakedness.

[lolly58335]

If Burma gov''t does not want the aid offered, we should leave. I am sorry for their citizenx, but it IS their government. America has plenty of national disasters (tornadoes, wildfires, storms) of our own. Where is the AID our government is trying to force on the Burmese? Where is the military clean-up crews? Where are OUR air drops of food, water, shelters? Our tax dollars should be going to help OUR CITIZENS, not halfway across the world, when they won''t even accept aid for their own people, without being bribed.

[libh8er]

Posted by SistaTee at 04:48 PM : May 23, 2008

That''s EXACTLY what I was thinking!

[wardoglrs]

The Goverments just use this aid as a weapon on the poor. Think about Katrina.

They think they have the right to take tax payer dollars and spend them as they want. The constitution is clear on this. Its illegal...

If you think that is harsh your wrong its a must have law to control the goverment from doing anything they want at any time they want.

The public would and could do far better without goverment involvement. This was how we used to do it but the like''s of americans to get off there wellfare *** and do something like get the feds reduced to a small body of power "Small Goverment".

Either your dependent or independent. Which is it?.
Americans are more needy now than ever in history. They cry to the power that be. " Oh great power please give us crackers for this cheese you have so lovingly given."

Your goverment has stolen your independence, And Your Liberty, They tell you if you can drive your car, Visit your kids, They talked you into taking your taxes to pay for the slops. Allow illegals aid in the millions. Your border is a joke. anyone can jump a fence.

And now you give then your country and they cant even speak english.
Return to the constitution before you lose it all

[jboxton]

Why do some righteous liberal blabbermouths feel the need to fill a discussion board with what they feel is interesting? I doubt any has read all your liberal garbage, maaaaan. Go hug a tree with your greater than thou personality.

[nyeinc]

Part IX: After Inviting the International Aid Workers In

What if the West%u2019s warnings are not serious or taken seriously and the regime opponents would nonetheless capitalize on the presence of international aid workers and make another attempt at people%u2019s power revolution? The Burmese government will, euphemistically speaking, restore law and order even at the presence/risk of the international aid workers and even at the face of the severe consequences later.

[nyeinc]

Part VIII: After Inviting the International Aid Workers In
To prevent another attempt at people%u2019s power revolution from the part of regime opponents, what can the international actors do?
The Western governments in particular and the other governments and media in general, will have to sternly tell the regime opponents NOT to take advantage of the presence of aid workers and NOT to make, during the relief operations, another attempt at people%u2019s power revolution, and so doing could harm the international aid workers. Better yet, the Western governments can sternly tell the regime opponents what the consequences would be. The regime opponents have lost a lot of ground in Burma; they are relying mostly on their state/non-state supporters and sympathetic media in the West for their cause; therefore, they will most likely take their worthy allies%u2019 position into consideration if such position is clearly and sincerely taken. On the other hand, the regime opponents might have never intended to take advantage of the presence of the international aid workers and make another attempt at the regime change by people%u2019s power revolution. (I am just giving them a way out without losing face, in case they miss.) Thus, on their own accord, the regime opponents will NOT make another attempt at the regime change by people%u2019s power revolution for the sake of their fellow Burmese cyclone victims, not due to position of their Western allies.

[nyeinc]

Part VII: After Inviting the International Aid Workers In

Another possible reaction scenario from the part of Burmese military government is to allow the Burmese public in general and the international aid workers in particular to face Hobbesian dilemma: having to make a choice between anarchy and Leviathan state. The Burmese military government might also wait for a few days and may restore law and order only later as last year in Burma or as in Tibet. Even its earlier, less decisive, attempts might FAIL. The 2nd and 3rd scenarios would inevitably result in the withdrawal of its troops from some areas, as in 1988 in Burma, leaving the population (and the international aid workers) to face the Hobbesian dilemma to choose between the anarchy and Leviathan state. In anticipation of the 2ndand 3rd scenarios, the international aid workers are advised to seek accommodation in the high-rise hotels where the helicopter rescues are possible. Yes, it will cost forty or fifty dollars more than the small, family-run, motels which cost ten or twenty dollars per night. In order to be able to rescue the international aid workers out there in the field immediately, it is necessary for them to instantaneously update their location to the local authorities or even higher authorities, including the relevant ministries.

[nyeinc]

Part VI: After Inviting the International Aid Workers In

If the regime opponents plan to take advantage of the presence of international aid workers, thinking that they will win either way, what would the Burmese military leaders do?

In the name of reason of the state, the first reaction scenario of the Burmese military government is going to order the army and police to, euphemistically speaking, maintain law and order. Legally, they can do so because the emergency law is imposed for a natural disaster and legitimately because the U.S National Guards and Police did shoot some people dead in New Orleans after Katrina. The Burmese military leaders are going to and have to take a decisive action, whatever it means, even if the international aid workers are there and if they have to face later the global condemnation and UN Security Council%u2019s punitive resolution, falling into the trap of their opponents%u2019 infamous but unpragmatic strategy of regime change by UN Security Council%u2019s resolutions. In this scenario, the international aid workers are suggested to stay inside their lodgings rather than venturing out into the streets like Japanese undercovered reporter Kenji Nagai.

[nyeinc]

Part V: After Inviting the International Aid Workers In

Now that the Burmese military government invited the international relief workers into their country, what are the possible worst-case scenarios we must be aware of and prepared for, and if possible, prevent. Now, all the possible bad scenarios would depend solely on a single, unwise decision of the regime opponents: to take advantage of the presence of the international aid workers inside Burma and to attempt to remove the incumbent government in a people%u2019s power revolution. The regime opponents would gauge that they will win either way.

If a people%u2019s power revolution is successful, the Burmese military government will be ousted. David Montero predicts in Christian Science Monitor that %u201CDisaster May Loosen Junta%u2019s Grip in Burma%u201D (May 8, 2008)

If it fails, the Burmese military government is going to face the enormous global outrage and UN Security Council%u2019s punitive resolution.

[nyeinc]

Part IV: After Inviting the International Aid Workers In
The presence of U. S., French and British warships, including an American aircraft carrier, near the Burmese territory encourage the regime opponents.

The regime opponents want to encourage its activists and their sympathizers with a dim prospect that, if the Burmese government crack down the protests as it did last year, that %u2018Americans are coming!!! Americans are coming!!!%u2019, coincidentally timing with the U.S, France, Britain navy warships. Gordon Lubold reports that in Mae Saout, Thailand, %u201Cthousands of Burmese exiles and refugees were excited when they saw a US helicopter flying above them on Saturday%u2026%u201D (Gordon Lubold, U.S. helicopters cause stir in Thai town on Burma border, Yahoo News, Washington, D.C, May 12, 2008, 4:00 a.m.; Christopher Johnson, Mae Sot, Thailand Christian Science Monitor, U.S. helicopters cause stir in Thai town on Burma border: In Mae Sot, home to many Burmese exiles and refugees, two helicopters stopped unannounced during a survey of the area, via ABC News)

The regime opponents know very well that a Burmese government has been overthrown with rumors. One of Burma%u2019s earlier dynasties collapsed due to rumors that its enemy troops Sagaw Karens were marching to the capital.)

[nyeinc]

Part III: After Inviting the International Aid Workers In

U.S Charge d%u2019affairs Shari Villarosa, a seemingly veteran expert of those revolutions, whose career assignments, found in the public-accessible CV, coincide with the occurrence of people%u2019s power revolutions, the most recent being in Indonesia in 1997-8, spread the words that %u201Cthe military leaders%u2019 reluctance to admit more foreign aid and aid workers exasperated ordinary people, whose discontent over sharp inflation and political repression erupted last September in an uprising led by Buddhist monks. %u201CAnger is still there,%u201D Ms. Villarosa said in an interview on Sunday. %u201CDiscontent is still there. And now there is a growing discontent that there is international assistance out there that can be brought in, so why aren%u2019t we getting it?%u201D (A New York Times Correspondent in Yangon, Myanmar, Burmese Leader Visits Refugees, The New York Times, May 19, 2008)

[nyeinc]

Part II: After Inviting the International Aid Workers In

An AP report DOES confirm the existence of a concern from the part of Burmese government that the presence of international aid workers might create trouble and embolden their dissidents who have been trying a people%u2019s power revolution. During the Saturday tour diplomats tried at every chance to tell the accompanying Myanmar minister that the government should provide more international aid access, [Bernard] Delpuech, [head of the European Commission Humanitarian Office in Yangon] said. He said the answer was: "Yes, they''re willing, but they don''t want the people who will create more problems." (Aung Hla Tun, Reuters, May 17, 2008, 8:15 a.m. New York Time, via Washington Post Website) In fact, the regime opponents took their first step by spreading the news that the public is angry at the military government and maligning the latter by accusing it of slow response.

[nyeinc]

Part I: After Inviting the International Aid Workers In

What should we be aware of the local terrain in Burma now that the Burmese military government has accepted the international aid workers even if it did NOT accept the aid delivery from U.S., French and British warships.

We must take notice of the local political context first. Burma has held a constitutional referendum on May 10 and 24. The Burmese military government wants the draft constitution ratified and it has been ratified. Its opponents want the draft rejected. U.S, France and Western countries support the regime opponents. U.S House of Representatives went so far as taking jurisdiction over the draft constitution of another country and passing a concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 317), calling the Administration and UN to reject the referendum (process) and draft constitution (outcome).

[wardoglrs]

People dont have any idea what your saying. By allowing so called help to the needy is nothing more than a weapon from the Americans. The Americans never hear what goes on behind the curtain. They will bring more despair along with rape and murder to these people. They have had enough. Time for you to wake up
to how the goverment never helps. THINK KATRINA. The american people are truly a ignorant bunch

[minnick8-2009]

The aid workers should be let in without Visas. It''s not like any of them are going to try to sneak in and stay indefinately.

[minnick8-2009]

So Myanmar''s Junta should get a new medal to pin on his uniform for his great humanitarianism.

[jboxton]

Just bomb the country and let them start over

[nyeinc]

I hope that although the visa application process of INGOs staff cannot be waived, it could be expedited. (Except for those in Thailand, INGO staff cannot leave the home base in one day anyway.)

If the visa application process take only one day, and some INGOs still insist on visa waiver %u2013 right before the referendum on May 10 %u2013 some might begin to wonder why those INGOs are insisting on visa waiver.

The ongoing problem is NOT that the international aid teams %u201Care bogged down by a bureaucracy still reluctant to open its borders to foreigners.%u201D The Burmese Embassies around the world are willing to expedite the visa process (within a day) but the INGOs didn%u2019t screen their aid workers. Some journalists, political activists and referendum monitors MAY be camouflaging as aid workers. INGOs should screen them out.

[nyeinc]

The following is what can be done to expedite the visa process without scrapping it all together. First, the Burmese Embassies around the world will make the visa application of the INGO staff the first priority. Keep the consulate open even for the holidays and weekends. (The delay caused by the holiday closure of Burmese Embassy in Thailand in occasion of a Thai Holiday should and would not be repeated.)

Second, the INGOs should screen their own staff, and have their staff signed the customary pledge form. Their mission into Burma is relief and humanitarian assistance for the Cyclone victims, not for political purposes and not for people%u2019s power revolution.

Thirdly, since some INGOs are better than others in getting their staff disengaged from politics in Burma, the visa application for the staff of the INGOs with better track records should take less time and, if possible, be done within a single day.