Not only the government in Burma is under criticism for failing to inform citizens about the coming storm, apparently its newspapers last week showed the Prime Minister handing out…electronics(!!!)
But despite the obvious suffering, massive devastation and pressing need for urgent action, the Burmese authorities were continuing to insist yesterday that everything was under control. On the front page of the New Light of Myanmar – a state-run government publication – was a picture of the Prime Minister, Thein Sein, handing over 20 television sets and 10 DVD players as part of the “relief” operation.
The sad part is that…
…[t]his, in a region where there has been no electricity since the 130mph storm struck.
The national TV has also been showing images of boxes with aid from other countries marked with top general’s names.
“We have already seen regional commanders putting their names on the side of aid shipments from Asia, saying this was a gift from them, and then distributing it in their region,” said Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, which campaigns for human rights and democracy in the country.
And although the government is slowly accepting aid, it insists on distributing it itself, not allowing anyone else to do it.
So the propaganda machine may succeed in making it seem like things are not too bad and that the government is the one successfully driving the relief effort without much help from outside. Or it may not. If the history has taught us anything, is that sweeping your problems under the carpet does not work – sooner or later you’ll have to face them. As the situation gets more pressing, I wonder if the images of “generals parading though neat refugee tentsites” will continue to cut it for the citizens.
Published Date: May 12, 2008