Asean should pressure the Myanmar government to allow western aid-officials immediately

Asean must get aid to Myanmar fast

Asean should encourage and apply reasonable pressure on the Myanmar government to allow relief operations to come in without having to go through Myanmar’s restrictive normal political or immigration channel.

The Star letter by DR TAN ENG BEE, Kajang.

THE devastating cyclone where the death toll is expected to reach 100,000 could have been minimised if Myanmar authorities had taken sufficient measures to inform and prepare its citizens of the impending cyclone.

The Myanmar government was warned two days earlier by the Indian Meteorological Department.

It was reported that many thousands are missing and a million made homeless. Many are still trapped as roads and communication lines have been damaged.

I am appalled by the attitude of the Myanmar government and its stony indifference when it was informed about the advancing cyclone.

The government was unprepared and least expected the cyclone to be that destructive as there was none in the past that ever matched the magnitude of Cyclone Nargis.

Myanmar was actually at a loss what to do except to appeal for international aid after assessing the massive damage.

As Myanmar is a member of Asean, it is proper that Asean should undertake to organise comprehensive and massive relief operations to reach survivors as soon as possible.

It was reported that red tape and other restrictive orders have prevented relief operations and supplies from other countries from coming in.

They are already at the doorsteps of Myanmar. No time should be wasted; visa and travel documents should be speedily approved to allow relief operations to fly in as soon as possible.

In this case, Asean should encourage and apply reasonable pressure on the Myanmar government to allow relief operations to come in without having to go through Myanmar’s restrictive normal political or immigration channel.

Humanitarian aid and relief operations should now supersede all forms of political considerations.

I would think the time is ripe for Asean to come together and to consider how to handle and send relief operations to member states when natural calamities and man-made disasters strike.

It is certainly disgraceful that none of the Asean member states was aware how devastating Cyclone Nargis could be. The fact that the warning was issued by the Indian Meteorological Department shows how far behind we are in technology.

Malaysia has had its own peculiar experience in recent months where we saw massive and destructive floods, erosion, and other man-made tragedies. I am sure we are better prepared now after having gone through different natural calamities such as the massive flooding in Johor last year.

DR TAN ENG BEE,

Kajang.