A Tragedy That Will Grow Worse

The military junta in Burma, fearful about their grip on power, is resisting international aid.

Desperate survivors cried out for aid on Thursday nearly a week after 100,000 people were feared killed by Cyclone Nargis, as pressure piled up on Myanmar to throw its doors open to an international relief operation.

The United States was awaiting approval from the ruling junta to start military aid flights, but the U.N. food agency and Red Cross/Red Crescent said they have finally started flying in emergency relief supplies after foot-dragging by the generals.

Some were bashing Bush for calling the junta a junta and making them less likely to cooperate, but I don't think words are the holdup here. The leadership just went through riots in the streets last year and cut the country's communications off. Disaster can breed independence movements and they are fearful of global intervention. Bush's approach wasn't going to help or hurt. You're talking about 46 years of military rule.

I'll tell you who could help - Chevron. They could threaten to pull up stakes if aid isn't delivered in a timely fashion. They are the only US corporation working inside Burma and they have a responsibility to at least do something positive with that privilege.

The NYT has more.