Donating for Burma May 12, 2008
Posted by cathrynsymons in : Politics , trackbackI have a poster of Aung San Suu Kyi in my hallway, given to me by a friend who has spent a lot of time working with Burmese refugees on the Thai border. She is an inspiration, a symbol of perseverance against the most intractable of obstacles.
It’s taken me a week to decide that it is worth donating to Burma. Not because I don’t want to, but what’s the point if aid is just seized by the junta and doesn’t get to the people its intended for? If there was ever a case for military intervention, this looks like one to me. I imagine squads of marines in powerboats speeding up the delta with food parcels, medicines and perhaps medics, rather than airdrops. I’ve no idea if that’s possible. It would be a far better use of the armed forces than anything in Iraq. It might even justify its existence.
So, I’m with Nick Cohen of the Observer on this one. Dithering and handwringing are no good at all. Our government has already established that it doesn’t care about sovereignty when it suits. It’s time to do something good for a change.
If you can’t command an army, you can at least donate through the Disasters Emergency Committee, which includes Oxfam, Christian Aid and other charities.
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