Myanmar lashes out at criticism as junta leader makes first public visit to relief camp

“Those who have been to Myanmar understand the actual fact,” it said.

Which is.... whom, exactly? since everyone but the junta are barred. Their reaction is desperate, and shows that they know it. My guess is VERY soon they'll be letting in foreign relief (too late) and saying how great they are. Hopefully the world sees through it, though.

The world may hopefully see through what a uncaring, evil regime we have in Burma but there still are those naive like, British Foreign Office Minister Lord Malloch-Brown, to suggest that, Britain and Myanmar had reached a kind of consensus over the direction of the aid operation under which Asian countries such as India, China, Thailand and Indonesia would take the lead in conjunction with the U.N.

If Asia and particularly those countries in ASEAN have compassion in the first place the suffering of the people in Burma couldn't have been prolonged as much. These countries and a few international businesses are the ones that is giving the military regime a lifeline where they feel that they could continue on repressing their people.

The author of the book, "A Problem from Hell", Samantha Powers questioned despite the American leaders vowing 'never again' repeatedly have failed to stop genocide, the answer is quite simple. If international community allow 'creatures from hell' as leaders and accept them amongst their mist how and why can the problem be solved. When it comes to take decisive actions against such regimes, they just debated about the legality and not about the 'legality of the regime'.

We have to remember that it was a Burmese sitting in the chair of the UN Secretary General that the world was saved from the brink of nuclear war. What a pity when leaders act like 'sissies'?

Well, they have spent 2 million on the relief efforts. Surely that will solve the crisis.

Under 46 years of military abuse, Burmese are very very hungry indeed. 17 days after the cyclone,for many thousands Burmese, it is too little too late. But, if battered people of Burma, especially very young and very old victims, can hold on for a little longer despite all odds, they may see the light at the end of the tunnel. The world now witness with their own eyes, the untold destitute of Burmese, which S.G Than Shwe takes very little notice of. The ASEAN and China who knowingly, sheilding this brutal regime ought to be ashamed of themselves.

The world now witness with their own eyes, the untold destitute of Burmese

No, that's the problem, people just know through Western Media, the media that covered Iraq war. Anyway, plenty of aid is pouring in also UN Head Ban has arrived in delta region and let us hope they will workout aid distribution problem without any confrontation with Myanmar regime.

some14some; Why is the junta stopping us,the local people from going into the disaster-hit areas? What have they got to hide?(PLENTY). We are not western media, we carry food and aid into these towns. A group of officials stopped us to leave the goods or pay 50,000 kyats at Laputta on 17.05.08. MIND YOU ,Int'l aid pouring in are still in military warehouses. They are yet to reach the victims. UN's Ban did not have to write letters/ call numerous phone calls to President Hu of China; did he? Nor having to go there himself.ASEAN leaders do not have to have meetings to save Chinese lives; do they?......CHINA'S leaders do its job whole-heartedly and promptly, without the KICK at the backside. What a difference between the two countries' natural disasters being handled by their respective leaders. But In BURMA ,Than Shwe went to poll station one week after the cyclone. He stopped the international aids /workers from entering (feet-dragging). NOW ,MORE THAN 2 WEEKS LATER (at the verge of Ban's visit in Wednesday),THAN SHWE SHOWED HIS FACE AT SHOWE-CASE REFUGE CAMPS.Face saving process begins . For Than Shwe gov. face-saving and politics come before people's lives.

Even with the grim pictures coming out of DELTA through international media (Aljazeera, CNN, BBC, SKY etc.),Burmese leaders said yesterday that the rescue efforts are over and donewith; according to them,every victim is taken care of. These generals are sooooo out of touch from realities. Only that no one, including Burmese soldiers, believe their lies upon lies for half a century.

Jyan Bon: i also care for the well-being of Myanmar people affected by tragic cyclone and here is yahoo headline : ASEAN to coordinate Myanmar aid effort. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080519/wl_nm/myanmar_cyclone_dc_155 Hope it will bring comfort to you and those in need of aid supplies.

some14some; if you care about Burmese lives , you shouldn't have advocate the junta's unacceptable stance of "Feet-dragging" in rescuing thousands of lives, at this humaninarian disaster.

I have to agree with Jyan Bon; the sooner the junta gets out of the way the more people will be saved from starvation and disease. ASEAN has been completely irresponsible in their handling of the junta for years, they are not going to be able to change anything now. The junta is only responding because more pressure is being applied but even now it looks like it may be too little, too late. At least now the world unserstands how pathetic the junta really is - and how impotent ASEAN is as well.