Build bridges to Burma

The U.N. Office for Humanitarian Affairs is warning that there is a risk of a second catastrophe in the wake of the deadly cyclone that has already taken the lives of hundreds of thousands on people in Burma. The looming second catastrophe will not be a natural disaster because it will have been caused by the criminal callousness of the generals who rule the country they call Myanmar.

The scale of the tragedy is such that it makes no sense to go on begging the military rulers for permission to aid the Burmese people. There is every reason to find ways to bypass the generals and deliver help regardless of the military's objections. Despite the appalling reputation of the dictatorship, it is hard to believe that Burma's military rulers prefer to see their fellow country men and women suffer and die rather than allow international aid to reach some 1.5 million survivors. Lacking clean water, food and shelter, they are now vulnerable to disease. A U.N. spokeswoman was quoted by the BBC as warning: "The scope of the disaster is huge. That's why we need to act quickly in order to avoid a second disaster or maybe a third disaster."

A U.N. proposal to set up air and sea channels into Burma should be acted on, with the United States in the lead. The Washington Post reported that the U.S. military is considering a number of ways of getting aid to the cyclone victims by using helicopters to deliver food from U.S. warships and send supplies across the border from Thailand. The U.N.'s chief humanitarian officer says, "We need a kind of air bridge or sea bridge, and huge means as ... we did during the [2004 Asian] tsunami."

Simultaneously, pressure must be exerted on the Security Council to act, possibly by applying the principle that mandates that the international community has a "responsibility to protect" civilians when their own government doesn't act to prevent crimes against humanity. It is now obvious that the military will do everything they can to turn this humanitarian tragedy to their advantage. Numerous news reports tell of the military seizing what supplies have been allowed in so that they can distribute them. The Associated Press reported that highly nutritious food from international aid agencies has been diverted to army barracks and poor quality food sent to cyclone victims. By any definition, the military dictatorship is committing crimes against humanity.

There has been some good news to lighten the gloom. Eight U.S. relief flights have been allowed to land in Yangon since Monday. The AP reported that the crew of a C-130 transport plane received "virtually a hero's welcome" from the people who unloaded the plane — while "the military mostly stood off to the side."

A coordinated international effort to overcome the inhumanity of their military rulers would be doubly welcome message to the people of Burma. It would indicate not only that their rulers cannot defy the international community but that their rulers are not all powerful and that dictatorship can also be overcome.