Myanmar/Burma: Nargis Death Toll Nears 78k

Another 56k are still missing apparently.  The UN wants more access for relief workers. 

The Junta wants diplomats to visit instead.  

Excerpt AP report at Seattle PI "Myanmar cyclone death toll nearly 78,000 ": 

U.S. Embassy charge d'affaires Shari Villarosa told The Associated Press Friday that the Foreign Ministry was arranging the trip, but no further details were available and it was unclear how much access the diplomats will have outside the controlled tour.

The handful of foreign experts who have been allowed into the country have been restricted to Yangon, the former capital. The government has set up police and military checkpoints on roads leading out of Yangon to Irrawaddy, where foreigners are being turned back. 

Maybe they can sneak some in with the foreign diplomats whom the military junta has invited in to inspect the delta area, or more likely one area in the delta.  Like when the Bush administration shows off Republicans visiting Baghdad, they will probably fix one area.  Put up some quick housing and throw in some families and tell the diplomats everything is fine now.

We capture an imagined future conversation among regime members traveling with diplomats:

(Italics represent conversation translated from the venacular): 

Juntaguy1: Hey, what's that guy doing?   

Juntaguy2:  He's running away.  Now why would a foreign minister do something like that?

Juntaguy1: That's no foreign minister.  That's an aid worker!  Look at his bulging pockets!!!

Juntaguy2:  Let him go.  How much food could he be carrying?

Juntaguy1:  No! You don't understand.  It's probably water purification tablets!  He could save a whole village!

Juntaguy2:  Get him!
 

I still can't get over the fact that they wouldn't let aid and relief help into the worst hit parts of the nation.  But even bad regimes act logically according to their own imagined needs and goals.

First was the embarassment of the disaster, but that's not all.

Then the Bush administration jumped on the problem to score political points.  

Sounding, in many ways like the pre invasion propaganda about human rights in Iraq, administration messages may have been the spur for the extreme shut down by the Myanmar regime. 

Now there is the groundswell of negative news.  I'm not saying we should shut down the news system over Myanmar's problems even if we could.  On the other hand, lots of commentators are using this occasion for an easy bash when they should be taking bolder stances against US wars, those we are involved in now, and those that are planned.

So what can be done?  Get a Hollywood agent in to negotiate with the regime members.

I can't do this like Disney does, but I imagine it goes something like this:

Hollywoodguy (negotiating for the UN):  Look, You've got a big problem.  Your image is in the toilet.  In fact, it's gone beyond the toilet.  It's been flushed.  Your country needs help.  You need help.   People are seriously thinking that you can be replaced with UN approval.

Juntaguy3:  Who are you to tell me how to run my country?  Everything he is fantastic, just like in Caleeforneeaa, as your governator says!

Hollywoodguy:  Well, I wouldn't try to compare your nation with California, Buddy.  You guys haven't gotten that bad yet.  Are you going to borrow from future lottery earnings by leasing the system and turning the state into a massive drug store based casino, like Schwarzeneger is proposing? I think not. (But that's an idea you might want to keep in mind for later.  I can give you some numbers to call.)

Juntaguy3: Hmm.  You make sense.  But what is this about our image?

Hollywoodguy:  We have people who can make you look and sound like beneficent 'gods'.  We can have our pr people work on you physically and make with a nice movie about how you guys personally rescued families while risking life and limb, and then, as leaders, saved your nation. It'll be like popcorn.  People in the world don't want reality.  They want to feel good and 'know' that someone is looking out for them.

Juntaguy3: So how much is this going to cost?

Hollywoodguy: Just let the aid workers into the delta.  No wait, and 2 million big ones to my private account.  I know you've been able squeeze that out of your people.

Juntaguy:  You think you're very smart.  No, we don't squeeze millions out of our impoverished people like you Americans.  We get it the old fashioned way.  'Campaign donations' from the oil industry.   

Hollywoodguy:  But you don't have personal elections!

Juntaguy: See, we're smarter than you, too.

Hollywoodguy: Ha ha!  But don't let that idea get around.  We make lots of money from our candidates, working on their images.

Juntaguy: Anyway, that sounds like a deal.  Have your people call my people.

Hollywoodguy: Fine.  If you ever get to town let me know.  We'll do lunch.

Juntaguy:  I don't know about that.  We've heard of the kinds of diseases people get from your food!

Interestingly, the last of the article reports on locals in the Yangon area and their self-relief efforts as well as UNICEF's attempt to find and help lost children.

And a request by the UN to be able to use a helicopter to access more of Myanmar.

tags: myanmar  irrawaddy delta  un  burma regime  

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