Cyclone Nargis

The facts are there for anyone to look up all over the internet, even the American press is covering this one. Reports are sketchy. All I can do is share what I know:

Burma, the country ravaged by this storm is ruled by a military junta. A totalitarian government whose only support worldwide comes from within the government itself. The oppressed people are forced to march in government rallies for fear of being fined. Monks are shot for protesting the appalling conditions. The country is poor. There is wilderness to explore, there is money to be made in eco-tourism.

Instead, the government can’t even be bothered to give it’s citizens the heads up that a category 4+ hurricane is on its way. They knew about it- they were told. They did next to nothing. And now there are 100,000 less humans inhabiting the 24th largest country in the world.

Relief boats are waiting off the coast for the junta to let them in. People are desperately searching for potable water (the price of water had quadrupled!), and the relief is there, offshore! Who knows how long it will take to clean up this mess, or how many more people could die for lack of relief, how long the relief will sit there waiting for a despot to let them in. There is an eMail campaign to pressure Ban Ki-Moon at the UN to take action. To send him an email, please click on the following link: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1189/t/5102/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24494

I can’t expect that my words will move anyone to action, but if they do, here’s a suggestion. A woman I work with is part of the US Campaign for Burma. As an insider she had the following to say:

there are some things that you can do to help. The most important thing on the ground is the need for clean drinking water. There is an excellent organization that is on the ground providing water tablets and purifiers called Thirst Aid. I can personally verify that this is an excellent organization and all donations will go directly to people on the ground. The organization is run by two awesome Americans that have full access to Burma (they already have visas). They have worked inside Burma for a number of years and they have a well-established network to get out fresh drinking water. Here is a link to their donation page (click on the “donation” tag in the top left corner): http://ttocirrod-foundation.org/Thanks.html

I can’t believe that this is our world, the same world in which I sit in my bead and use my laptop, prepare for bed. I just don’t know how these victims, the citizens of Burma can be so punished while I am so rewarded. My hopes are with them, and I hope that one person who reads this takes action, gives money, time and spreads the word. If this is what it takes to focus the world’s attention on a country that has desperately needed help for so long, then let it not happen in vain. Blog about this! Write about this! Write a congressman, write the UN, write the president!

The people of Burma deserve better than what they got.