The death toll from Cyclone Nargis continues to rise and over 1.5 million people are now at risk: diseases, such as cholera, dysentery and malaria, are spreading. If the world does not intervene soon, the death toll could rise by thousands every day. No country could cope with a disaster of this scale alone, yet Burma’s Generals are shunning the world’s offers of help; they’d rather see their citizens die than accept help from overseas.
If any country can make the generals change their mind, it is China. We have witnessed the recent terrible loss of life in China following the devastating earthquake. However, the response to the two natural disasters could not be more different. While the Chinese government responded quickly, dispatching 50,000 troops, and Premier Wen Jiabao immediately flying to the disaster area, the Burmese regime continues to block aid efforts.
China has a very close relationship with Burma’s generals, supplying them with weapons, economic assistance and protecting them at the UN Security Council. This weekend China blocked moves at the UN for a Security Council resolution telling the generals to let aid in. Every hour China protects Burma, more people will die. Please help campaigners break the deadlock. Please email China and demand that they stop blocking UN action. Your email will be sent to the Chinese representatives at the UN and in the UK.
Please send an email now here:
www.burmacampaign.org.uk/china_cycloneaction.html
To find out the latest news on the cyclone visit:
www.burmacampaign.org.uk/cyclonenargis.php
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See also this 22/05/08: European Parliament condemns the Burmese authorities for blocking aid
The European Parliament today overwhelmingly adopted a resolution condemning the Burmese authorities in the wake of cyclone Nargis. With UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon visiting Burma and the UN and Asean (of which Burma is a member) due to meet for a donor conference on Sunday, the European Parliament today condemned the Burmese authorities with a unified voice for blocking international aid to the 2.4 million Burmese who are at great risk in the wake of cyclone Nargis.
Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, commented: "The European Parliament's unequivocal condemnation of the Burmese military junta reflects the scale of the catastrophe on the ground. It is Burma's duty to protect the people on its territory. The international community must not tolerate the Burmese authorities' indifference as they allow their people to suffer within arm's reach of humanitarian aid.
"It is incomprehensible and unacceptable that state sovereignty can be given as a reason to allow the proliferation of deaths. My colleagues and I will not accept such reasoning and we call on the UN Security Council to act, in particular to explore the possibility of tasking the International Criminal Court prosecutor to examine the Burmese authorities' responsibility for crimes against its own people."
524 votes were cast in favour of the resolution in the European Parliament with 3 against and 13 abstentions.
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