Cyclone Nargis - the crimes are just beginning [Updated]

Photo by Mohd Nor Azmil Abdul Rahman

I remember a few years back when it was considered by many a huge "scandal" that Bush remained on vacation for a few days after Hurricane Katrina struck (not that Bush could have personally done much, but that's another matter). It is true that both the city and federal response was too slow. Approximately 1800 people died in the disaster overall.

By comparison, the estimated deaths from the cyclone in Burma are 22,000 - 100,000, a minimum of over ten times the carnage of Katrina. Considering the epic scale of the disaster, it's funny how these same folks still keep harping on Katrina but are awfully quiet about the actions of the Burmese government; not only were they completely incapable of handling the disaster; they deliberately obstructed humanitarian efforts - a crime against their own people. Here's just a partial list of what the military junta is guilty of:

1. Blocked relief shipments from entering the country
   
   
2. Confiscated two UN planeloads of food, claiming they would distribute the supplies themselves (even though they only have 7 helicopters to cover a nation the size of France)
   
   
3. Perverted the relief supplies into a tool for propaganda purposes
   
   
4. Used the disaster as an attempt to jury-rig the election process
   
   

Hundreds of thousands are homeless, and the situation in the refugee camps is said to be very grim indeed. The situation is so bad that France suggested that the international community may need to resort to forcing humanitarian aid; i.e., air-dropping supplies whether the Burmese government gives permission or not. It may sound crazy to some, but even if the Burmese responded militarily, you have to weigh this against the number of people who would die if the aid is not distributed. This is precisely why I am not a pacifist; millions can die even under conditions of "peace" such as this.

It looks like I'm not the only one either; Time Magazine makes a strong argument on why an invasion of Burma may be necessary.

UPDATE 11/05/2008 12:16:00 PM:
My prediction was correct; you can add one more major crime. Just when you think you've heard the worst of it, the military junta tops itself:

Myanmar exports rice as cyclone victims struggle
THILAWA, MYANMAR -- While Myanmar's military regime Friday restricted the rush of international aid offered to help hungry and homeless cyclone survivors, the government was exporting tons of rice through its main port.
...
The regime has a monopoly on rice exports and said this week that it planned to meet commitments to sell rice, whose price has reached record highs on the world market, to countries such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, even though Myanmar's main rice-producing region suffered the worst damage from the cyclone, which hit a week ago.

(Found via Poligazette)

This is likely to have a secondary effect of reducing donations to the country, since no one wants to send grain only to have the junta resell it for profit. Absolutely unbelievable.