SAVE BURMA

The Burmese government has turned against its people yet again, and this time, only days after promising UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon that all foreign aid workers would be let in to the country.

 

The latest stunt from the regime is rumoured to be, evicting starving Burmese cyclone victims from government run emergency camps. Apparently, the greedy regime generously gave the cyclone victims bamboo poles and tarpaulins and told them to go and rebuild their lives.

 

Terje Skavdal, head of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, could not confirm the closure of the camps, but stated: “People need to be assisted in the settlements and satisfactory conditions need to be created before they can return to their place of origins…Any forced or coerced movement of people is completely unacceptable.”

 

We seem to be hearing these statements from UN representatives a lot lately, but still there doesn’t seem to be much progress and improvement in the lives of the Burmese people. 2,4 million cyclone victims are still homeless and lacking sufficient food supplies.

 

But then again, it must be hard negotiating with this irrational regime, particularly as long as the Burmese government is unwilling to ‘realise’ the reality and consequence of this natural disaster.

 

The Burmese- language daily, Myanma Ahlin said: “cyclone survivors could get by without bars of chocolate from the international community.” 

 

The cyclone caused the death of at least of 78,000 people, 56,000 are still missing and 2,4 million people are homeless. I say, ‘chocolate bars’ from the International community is exactly what the Burmese people need, and the International community should step up and pressure the Burmese government harder than ever before, as everyday that goes by more and more people are at the risk of dying. We have been keeping our eyes closed for too long…

BRAVERY MAKES A DIFFERENCE

The bravery of the mother, who reported her two sons to the police for attacking and beating up a man on a night out, proves that justice can prevail even in though situations.

 

The brothers now jailed for two years, attacked a father of two outside a takeaway shop on a night out, and left the man forever blind in one eye. When the attackers mother, found out about her sons criminal and abusive behaviour, she made the difficult decision to report her own sons to the police.

 

Carol Saldinack explained today to the BBC, that if the situation was reversed: “I would want to know why or who did this and for what reason and to be punished for what they have done…We can all turn a blind eye to situations in our lives and that’s what’s wrong with everybody now. We are teaching our children that it’s ok to do this and it’s wrong.” She also said that by keeping quiet that would make her just as guilty as her sons were. 

 

This brave mother clearly has made sacrifices and even received threats from her oldest son, saying: “Mother, if you say anything else to the police, it won’t necessarily be me, but you might not wake up in your bed one morning.”

 

But this woman isn’t selfish, and she did what she did out of love for her children who clearly needed some moral guidance, and a lesson teaching them that violence is never acceptable. But unfortunately Carol Saldinack is right in saing that no one really cares anymore.

 

We are living in a self-centred society where we are only looking after our self, and turn a blind eye to everything that happens around us because we don’t want to get involved. But things can only change if we all get involved. It is about time someone put their foot down and proved that it is possible, even for parents to take a stand against the violent ‘youth’ culture in Britain. Just because you love your child doesn’t mean you have to accept everything they do!