THE COWARDS BOW TO PRESSURE

The cowards of the Burmese regime are now bowing under pressure as the Junta has declared three days of national mourning for the sufferers, and the 78, 000 confirmed dead, after Cyclone Nargis hit the country, 18 days ago.

 

Yes, 18 days it has taken for the regime to signalise a slight awareness of the huge levels of suffering that the citizens of Burma have faced in the recent weeks. Just unfortunate, that this realisation is coming too late to diminish the damages already caused.

 

It is thus a paradox, that the Burmese regime decide to declare three days of official mourning after it’s allied, China began it’s own mourning for the victims after Sichuan earthquake last week.

 

What made China different from Burma, was a government who participated and tried to diminish the consequence of the catastrophe faced, while in Burma, the people were left alone to die, by denying the extent and severity of the situation and preventing international aid to reach those in need. And this all due to a selfish fear of being exposed, as a corrupt regime, without any consideration for democracy and human rights, like that would come as a surprise to anyone!

 

On the upside though, this new turn of reaction from the Burmese government might signalise the effect and impact that China has on the junta. The Burmese regime is also accepting more foreign aid to assist the situation after an emergency meeting in Singapore on Monday, although foreign expert employed by UN aid agencies are still not allowed to enter the country.

 

Douglas Alexander, Britain’s International Development Secretary commented: “Anything which may see more aid getting to the victims of Cyclone Nargis who so desperately need it is to be welcomed, but we are continuing to pressure the Burmese government to accept direct assistance in the affected areas.”  

 

 

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THE NEVER ENDING…SUFFERING

 

Zimbabwean refugees, living in South Africa after fleeing the political troubles at home are again under attack by a wave of South African xenophobic orientated riots.

 

The rioters are fuelled by failure to improve the living of those at the bottom of the South African social pyramid, as 40 percent of the population is worse of than they were under apartheid.

  

The UK Times reported Tuesday: “The wrath of the country’s teeming townships has been sparked by the belief that “foreigners” are stealing locals’ jobs and fuelling the country’s sky-high crime rates.”

 

This is though the paradox, as it has not been that long since South African’s themselves needed help under their own crucial regime, when the apartheid was at the forefront of systematical abuse and human rights violations. And the riots are now becoming an embarrassment for the government which is accused of “not having a faintest idea what is happening”, and for the failure of the crumbling school and health system.

 

So far at least 22 people have been killed in the troubles that surfaced in Johannesburg last Wednesday. Many more has been taken to hospital for gun shots and stab wounds and people are burned and raped. 

 

Jody Kollapen, chairman of the South African Human Rights Commission said: “The feelings of hatred that are coming out at this level take us back to the horrible days of apartheid.”

 

One of the young rioters said:  “It is unfortunate that people got killed… But they had to go. They do not belong here taking jobs. Let them go back to Zimbabwe and solve their own problems instead of bringing them here. We have enough problems of our own.”

 

This doesn’t leave the Zimbabwean people with many options as their suffering seems to be endless. One 24 year old Zimbabwean refuge told the BBC: “It’s better to starve at home than to die here. At least, if I’m back in Zimbabwe, my parents can bury me and see my grave.”