Myanmar continues to stall aid efforts - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
With up to 100,000 dead and one million homeless, Myanmar's paranoid military regime continued Thursday to stall worldwide efforts to come to the aid of the victims of cyclone Nargis.
One United Nations aid flight arrived from Italy in Yangon, formerly Rangoon, and two others were expected, all carrying food, water, tents and medical supplies for a population that has gone a full week without shelter, fresh water and electricity.
But the supplies arrived without the experienced workers trained to assess the situation and distribute the aid. International disaster relief experts are still cooling their heels, mostly in Bangkok, waiting for visas to enter the country.
So, instead of a systematic distribution plan, Myanmar state TV showed smiling members of the military junta that has ruled the former Burma for nearly half a century handing out boxes of supplies to waiting citizens. It quoted one general telling them the situation in the country was "returning to normal."
For a brief period Thursday, the aid community expected a breakthrough in the situation when word came through that the U.S. military would be allowed to begin aid flights into Myanmar.
Thai military officials intervened on their behalf and it appeared the way was clear for a humanitarian airlift to begin. But, the flurry of optimism was short-lived.
Late in the day, U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Eric John told reporters: "This morning, we and our Thai allies thought we had a decision from the Burmese leadership to let the C-130 (transport planes) in. As of now, we don't have that decision. I don't know whether they rescinded the decision, or if there was a miscommunication."
There is increasing concern that the Myanmar generals intend to keep foreigners out of the country at least until after this weekend's referendum on a new constitution. They contend the vote is a step toward democracy, but it has been widely condemned as a sham and there is intense criticism that it is even going ahead in many parts of the country, despite the cyclone disaster.
According to eyewitness reports from the few journalists who have managed to get into Myanmar, the relief supplies that are trickling into the country are not getting to the people most in need. They say that in the worst hit Irrawaddy Delta area, where the cyclone touched down directly, people still have not received any help.
According to the BBC, there is widespread flooding and bloated bodies - both humans and animals - are floating in the salt water.
These kind of conditions make Myanmar ripe for the spread of disease and further delays in aid supplies will only aggravate the situation.
Cholera is now a major concern, as is Malaria.
Even before the cyclone, the World Health Organization warned that "malaria is a re-emerging public health problem" in the country and it is now exacerbated by widespread flooding, the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Some officials are warning privately that disease may end up killing as many as the cyclone if help doesn't arrive soon.
But, no progress is being reported on that front despite private and public appeals to the regime in Myanmar from the highest levels of governments around the world. Only "friendly" governments such as China, India and Thailand have been allowed to help so far, and even they have been limited to delivering supplies and leaving.