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NO DISASTER relief execution in recent years has been remotely praiseworthy, not even in well-organised societies. The 1995 Hanshin earthquake in Kobe, which killed about 6,000 people, caught the local and national authorities flat-footed. The world had a very different opinion of Japan as a well-oiled machine after that. Hurricane Katrina in the southern United States, of recent vintage, is now a byword for abysmal crisis management and political indifference. In the case of a broken, ill-equipped Myanmar devastated by a cyclone a week ago, no one could reasonably expect the unpopular military government to be able to rescue its people from death, disease and destruction without outside help. The junta's failing is the more heinous for its reluctance to take in all offers of aid from foreign governments and relief organisations. This is a crime against the people.
Reports that the government has deliberately blocked urgent relief supplies from getting through are almost certainly untrue. According to the United Nations' emergency relief coordinator, Mr John Holmes, cooperation from the junta had been 'reasonable'. Visas, access for relief workers and the waiving of Customs procedures were in hand, he said. But reasonable is not good enough in the circumstances. Myanmar should declare an open-door policy, subject to the odd qualification as a concession to the government's fear of foreign exploitation of a tragedy. Estimates of the dead are climbing into six digits, with 40,000 people missing. One million people have lost their homes. Water-borne diseases are beginning to bite. The paranoia of the generals concerning their ruling legitimacy is the biggest stumbling block. They could yet face the people's accounting when the worst of the crisis is over. Their best bet against a precipitate collapse of power is to embrace the international relief effort without qualification, so that the victims can have a fighting chance at rebuilding ruined lives. Even supplies from friendly Asean neighbours are being held up in Bangkok, waiting for clearance to be delivered.
The Indonesian tsunami disaster recovery effort showed conclusively that military capability - equipment, carrying capacity, highly trained personnel, field hospitals - is the best means of cutting short the rescue and rehabilitation process. The junta could not be expected to welcome United States Navy ships steaming into Myanmar's neighbourhood, but it should accept American logistic support through third parties. Military logistic help from India, China and some Asean nations can be arranged quickly. And why are Myanmar's own army and police not out in force to help the people?
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