Myanmar leaders are guilty of crimes against humanity

The military leaders of Myanmar, the South East Asian country ravaged by a cyclone, pledged Friday to let all foreign aid workers in.

We’ll believe it when we see it.

Three weeks have passed since a killer cyclone hit Myanmar, formerly Burma, causing unimaginable death and destruction. Yet, the ruling junta has remained stubborn about accepting outside help.

It has become clear that Mother Nature isn’t the only villain in this sad tale. The military leaders are just as guilty of causing pain and suffering.

They have blocked foreign aid workers from entering the country, even though up to 2.5 million cyclone survivors face hunger, homelessness and potential outbreaks of deadly diseases, especially in the low-lying area.

Because of the inexplicable stance taken by the government of Myanmar, only about 25 percent of the survivors have received any kind of assistance.

The junta, in a moment of unusual honesty, says that more than 120,000 people were killed or are missing as a result of the cyclone.

But, as U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon contended during a tour of devastated sections of the country’s Irrawaddy Delta, “The United Nations and all the international community stand ready to help to overcome the tragedy. The main purpose of my being here is to demonstrate my solidarity.”

Ban also made it clear that he does not intend to walk on diplomatic eggshells with regard to the government’s response.

“I’ve very upset by what I’ve seen,” the secretary general said.

Deterioration

Conditions have deteriorated to such an extent that few citizens believed Ban’s meeting Friday with junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe would make a difference.

There is a feeling among the people that the generals could care less about what the United Nations or any other international organization has to say.

Indeed, the government has now taken to pretending that rescue operations have been successful and, therefore, should come to an end, and reconstruction should begin.

Such an attitude must not go unchallenged.

The international community has a moral obligation to step in and save the people of Myanmar. The generals must be told that they will be held personally responsible for any deaths that occur because of their refusal to accept offers of assistance from around the world.

“In my 30-plus years of humanitarian emergency work this is by far — by far — the largest case of emergency need we’ve ever seen,” said Lionel Rosenblatt, president of the U.S.-based Refugees International. “And yet, right off-shore, right here in Thailand, we have the means to save these people.”

That, in a nutshell, is why the military rulers should no longer be treated with kid gloves. Their people are dying while they indulge in a senseless power plays.