U.S. scolding of Myanmar leaders comes under fire

[maddezmom]

Source: LATImes

WASHINGTON -- As Myanmar's aid crisis deepens, the Bush administration is facing criticism that its denunciations of the military regime may have contributed to its resistance to allowing foreign aid workers to enter the storm-ravaged country.

After Tropical Cyclone Nargis pounded Myanmar, First Lady Laura Bush and administration officials condemned the government Monday as illegitimate, blasted its human rights record, and charged that it had failed to give its residents adequate warning of the storm's approach.
~snip~

For the humanitarian purpose, you have to put politics aside and say unequivocally that we want to help," said Joel Charny, vice president for policy at Refugees International, a Washington-based advocacy group. "We know the Burmese generals are going to be suspicious. We shouldn't be taking an approach that's going to make it more likely that backs get up and doors remain closed."

A senior United Nations official, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue, said, "It is certainly not helpful."


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-usmyanmar10-2008may10,0,3747240.story

[baldguy]

1. Never mind the hypocrisy.

[SpiralHawk]

4. "But hypocricy is a republicon speciality. Smirk." - Commander AWOL

[Xenotime]

13. Myanmar leaders have the US Disaster playbook

It's basically let the people suffer and either die or move somewhere. then we can buy the land and make it the next resort destination.

[Squatch]

2. So the military cabal in Myanmar is letting its people die to make a political point?

[LeftishBrit]

3. Yes. Disgusting.

[lunatica]

6. They're letting them die anyway

So why not score points by thumbing their noses at our government's total lack of self examination or diplomatic ability? After all, look at how well they took care of New Orleans! Even Babs said it turned out very well for all those refugees who were already poor anyway. The Bush family has every right to point fingers! They have experience with this sort of thing.

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[lonestarnot]

18. It's part of the shock and awe process.

[4dsc]

5. Time to invade and overthrow this regime!!

Freeing the Burmese people would be worth the fight..

[MickeyFinne]

7. Could be

Ya know? I wonder if any o them dadbern meeanmarese people has any of our oil over there?

Anyone know if Al Kada is atrainin any more terrarists in meeanmar? That Al's a real mean sumbitch

[tpsbmam]

9. When I saw your subject line my first thought was....

which one?

[ronnie624]

11. Not likely.

The current US regime is part and parcel to the corporatist culture that supports the military junta in Myanmar and profits from the enslavement of the people there.

U.S. Apparel Imports From Burma Soar, Despite Increased Repression and Sanctions

#
Retailers like Bradlees, J.C. Penney, Sears, Marshalls, and apparel companies such as Fashion Knitwear, One Step Up, Arrow, Karl Kani, Salmor--among others--continue to sell clothing made in Burma.
#
Apparel imports up 43 percent. U.S. apparel imports from Burma soared 43.4 percent in the first six months of 1998. This year U.S. companies will import more than $110 million of clothing made in Burma.
#
Four cent an hour wages and military control attract U.S. apparel companies. Garment workers in Burma earn just four cents an hour or $8.00 a month! The military is immediately brought in to suppress any worker grievances.
#
Propping up the dictators: Full foreign ownership of companies operating in Burma is illegal so all U.S. apparel sourcing there must be done as a joint venture with the Burmese military. Money earned from garment exports to the U.S. goes directly to purchase weapons from China to repress the people of Burma. In fact, apparel production is one of the last profitable investments in Burma.
#
Avoiding U.S. government sanctions: U.S. companies avoided government sanctions prohibiting new investments in Burma by racing through new investment approvals in the weeks before the sanctions came into force in May 1997. To beat the deadline, in one month more new investments were registered than had been over the previous five years.
<http://www.nlcnet.org/article.php?id=310>

[darue]

16. yeah, it'll be a cakewalk. still, no junta is more deserving of overthrow n/t

[tidy_bowl]

19. Sorry but war is never the answer. nt

[NJCher]

8. what a horrific turn of events

...a disaster compounded with what is essentially no government. It's worse than no government because they are preventing the people from getting aid.

For those interested further in this story, there is a piece at Newsweek that tells how expats are looking at the situation. They hope this will be the downfall of this hideous government.

Also, I heard this a.m. that human rights groups are using creative ways to get the supplies in, such as giving them to the monks.

I've said many times that my biggest fear is the Big One in California while bush occupies the office. If we can only make it until next January!


Cher

[bluesmail]

10. don't forget when the disaster capitalists swoop down and scarf

up every bit of oceanfront property.

[stubtoe]

12. Jeeze Louise, what CAN'T this dipstick f*** up?!

*bangs head*

[mcollier]

14. Laura Bush was way

out of line using such a time to scold the Burmese gov. Not tact...

[Frank Booth]

15. Hurt feelings is not a legitimate excuse for letting your people die.

[ohio2007]

17. It's true . India sent weather warnings to Myanmar but the govt didn't put the word out

India says it gave Myanmar 48-hour cyclone warning
NEW DELHI (AFP) - Indian meteorologists have said they had given neighbouring Myanmar 48 hours' warning before a cyclone slammed into the country, killing more than 22,000 people and leaving over 40,000 missing.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/newsfull.php?newid=116128

And now the generals are doing photo ops handing out food gifts to loyal voters
;)



Now why is that they failed to give proper warning ?


In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, monks clear roads damaged by cyclone in Yangon Sunday.
(Zhang Yunfei/Xinhua/AP Photo

excerpt from this threads topic link;
A senior United Nations official, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue, said, "It is certainly not helpful."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-usmyanmar10-2008may10,0,3747240.story


Translation; talking out of his azz to deflect criticism. I wonder what country this UN 'official' was from.




LOL
I loved the Chinese flags pasted over the UNICEF decals on those aid packages BTW




Nobody caught those video bytes on CNN of cargo being offloaded from China?


http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hpLWg6NRGVwap27nNm702ts7t-awD90IHBSG0