Cyclone Nargis (part 2)

So it's been 6 days since the cyclone.  With the referendum still scheduled for tomorrow, I think what we've seen has been striking.

1. The real death toll may currently be as high as 100 000.  With over a million homeless, and lacking access to food, susceptible to disease, and not really recieving any help, the death toll could continue to soar.

2. Unlike other natural disasters of this calibre (such as the 2004 tsunami), foriegn aid is not arriving, for the simple reason that the Burmese government won'T let it come in.  It is absolute insanity.  ALthough the response of many nations, from the UK, to the US, to Bangladesh, has been impressive.

3. More than in any other time in history, Burma is consisntly on the front pages of newspaper.  Almost everybody is hearing about the cyclone and the aftermath.  I think this has much more of an impact on the average person.  The Sept 2007 protests were significant, but would not have had the same meaning to people not really aware of the history/everyday life of Burmese people.... a disaster of this magnitude requires no such context.  Everybody can understand 100 000 dead and a million + homeless & starving.  The government is doing what it does best- screwing over its own people.  THis time is unique because the whole world is watching.  For the first time in recent history, almost the entire world, on the household level, is witnessing the absolute insanity of the BUrmese regime- and I don't think they will tolerate it.

That's all for today- I'll probably add a short update after the referendum.