10,000 people are dead today in Myanmar. 24 million people are living in disaster zones.
In addition to hundreds of thousands of people being made homeless, the security forces killed 36 people rioting when the roof blew off a prison.
Watch the BBC video images of the storm here.
If you're like me and had to look up Myanmar to find out that it is also called Burma, and that it is where Ang San Suu Kyi is from and lives under house arrest, now's your chance to learn about it. Kind of like learning about the Ninth Ward.
The Burmese government has refused emergency disaster aid from the US (which is stupid-- people are dying. kind of like how new york refusing money from the gulf was stupid.) I'm curious as to the reason they give for the refusal, and whether it's related more to the US's sanctions on Burma and interference in Burmese affairs, or whether it's because of the havoc we tend to cause in the world. I'm inclined to think it is most likely due to the previously existing strained relationship.
Eventually I hope that we are able to help, and I wish we actually had money to help with and that it wasn't all dumped into destroying Iraq. Check out this site: how fast can you spend 3 trillion dollars, which is the amount spent on the Iraq War. It takes a long time! 3 trillion dollars would be health care for us and disaster aid for New Orleans AND Burma, and much more.
**For more on Burma, see Quiqui's post and pictures.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Myanmar
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If you're like me and had to look up Myanmar to find out that it is also called Burma, and that it is where Ang San Suu Kyi is from and lives under house arrest, now's your chance to learn about it. Kind of like learning about the Ninth Ward.
I hope there aren't many people like you.
Were you really not aware of the massive protests that happened there last September and October?
Wow.
I'll admit, I pay far more attention to the news from the Middle East and the States than other parts of the world. Also I had neither TV nor internet during the protests. But this isn't a contest, it's a massive tragedy that's happening. I invite anyone with more knowledge about Burma to drop a line here.
I visited Burma a few years ago, so only know what I learned then and saw. I blogged a post about it, and shared pics. Click here to see if you'd like...
I know the U.S. doesn't have good relations, but it's something I continue to be skeptical about because since when did the U.S. actually give a shit about human rights violations? I'm sure the answer lies in the ruling military junta's inability or refusal to give our politicians money or our corporations natural resources.
Wooow, awesome thank you Quiqui. This makes me wonder all that I missed over the last two weeks of internet outage!
""but it's something I continue to be skeptical about because since when did the U.S. actually give a shit about human rights violations?""
You shouldn't be. If you look at how policy toward a given regime actually develops, we do actually 'give a shit' about half the time, and the question of whether we 'give a shit' isn't even an all-or-nothing question. The government's just not a unified entity like that.
""I'm sure the answer lies in the ruling military junta's inability or refusal to give our politicians money or our corporations natural resources.""
LOL, what? I'm sorry, but this is just a shockingly ignorant claim, based on little more than your confirmation bias.
Google "Burma" together with "Alien Tort Claims Act" if you'd like to know more.
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