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Don't Let ASEAN Cover Up the Crisis in
Burma;
Burma Needs Massive Aid Now!
When: May 23, 2008 11:30am -
1:30pm
Where/What:
11:30-11:50 Meet at Justin Herman Plaza and set up for meditation march
11:50-12:10 March to Singapore Consulate,
595 Market
Street, San Francisco, CA, 94105
12:10-1:30 Meditation in front of Singapore Consulate
Contact: 510 593 4388
Why:
Singapore is the chair of ASEAN and a great enabler of Burma's
brutal regime. Most ASEAN members, such as
Thailand
and Singapore,
enjoy Burma's resources at cut-rate prices while millions suffer greatly
under the junta.
After the deadly Nargis hit Burma's delta region, there was great outcry
from much of the world as we witnessed the regime's cruel and
dispassionate neglect of the massive destruction and deaths. As usual,
member nations of ASEAN kept quiet until they saw western navy ships
perched to act in the best interest of the cyclone victims. These are
the same forces from the US,
UK and
France who
effectively aided tsunami victims in the same region when members of
ASEAN did not have sufficient resources or expertise to help their own.
In an emergency meeting held on May 19, 10 members of ASEAN said they
will make sure aid from all over the world will flow into
Burma
without any explanation or details as to how this aid will actually make
it to the areas of greatest need. They also said they will hold a donor
conference -- which
France
denounced as it ignores the real and immediate need of aid delivery to
the Irrawaddy delta area. It is obvious that ASEAN's move is politically
motivated. They should have acted much earlier rather than stalling to
protect the Burmese regime's ineptitude. Had the welfare of the cyclone
victims been their true priority, they would have had this meeting
within days of the cyclone instead of waiting until there seems to be
imminent humanitarian intervention by western countries. The
insufficient and superficial aid operations of ASEAN, still tightly
controlled by Burma's military, will inevitably result in hundreds of
thousands of more deaths in the coming weeks and the potential of 2.5
million people dying of starvation, dehydration, disease and/or
exposure.
We will, therefore, inform the
Singapore
consulate, the current chair of ASEAN, that it will be
responsible for any future deaths if massive aid operations as called
for by the US, UK
and
France are not implemented.
Singapore
has a responsibility to ensure that the 2.5 million lives receive the
best care possible in this dire situation. It must continue to pressure
the junta to accept as much aid as is needed in
Burma,
whether it be in supplies or personnel, and no matter which country is
providing such aid.
The question to all ASEAN member nations should answer is:
Is this the plan you would want for
your country in the next tsunami?