Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Medicine is asking the United Nations to investigate the military junta's response to Cyclone Nargis in Burma. Chris Beyer of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health says that the junta mishandled the situation to a criminal point, even calling the situation a "crime against humanity".
The cyclone, which hit last year, has killed over 130,000 people, and caused $10 billion in damages. The military junta government was very strict about allowing aid in, even though many countries were offering, the junta turned back many, citing problems with the packages, and other reasons for not accepting the aid. Many claim that the junta's stalemate and playing games with relief efforts caused more deaths than could have been prevented had aid gotten to where it was needed in time. There were reports of people being forced to leave shelters early, forced to do manual and child labor for aid, and sent back to dilapidated conditions, this being only a few of the criticisms.
The call to action by Johns Hopkins goes against a recent report by the U.N., ASEAN, and the Burmese junta, claiming that the junta is beginning to have a "higher degree of confidence". The tripartite report recommended another $700 million in relief funding.
It is my opinion that this is a step in the right direction, because letting the junta off the hook for all the damage they have caused is criminal and morally bankrupt, so here's to Johns Hopkins for not letting this issue get lost over time, as so many human rights abuses seem to go among the televised media and public in general (though the former might be the reason for the latter). This call for the U.N. to act will most likely be shut down by Russia and China, the two nations who (almost) always cast a vote against human rights investigations, condemnations, etc.
-- by Alexander Hammer
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