The catastrophe in Burma has provided a good reason for the United States and others to insist on access to the secretive state.
As of Thursday, the US said it was still waiting for approval to start military aid flights for survivors of Cyclone Nargis.
It seems initial approval for the aid flights was granted, but the final decision has now been delayed.
The initial approval was surprising given the distrust and acrimony between the Burma generals and Washington, which has imposed tough sanctions to try to end decades of military rule.
Pressure has been building on the ruling junta to throw its doors open to an international relief operation for the worst cyclone to hit Asia since 1991, when 143 000 people were killed in neighbouring Bangladesh.
The death toll now stands at about 22 500, with 40 000 still missing. There are fears the toll could eventually reach 100 000.
There has long been criticism of the junta’s restrictive policies. An uprising by Buddhist monks in 2007 also thrust the state on to the front pages of many of the world’s newspapers, but there has been little reform.
Some members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations declared at a summit in 2007 that the country’s human rights issues are its domestic affairs, while others say it is an international issue.
Indeed, when can it be deemed necessary for the international community, or a regional grouping, to intervene in a sovereign state?
South Africa’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu called recently for a boycott of the opening of the Olympic Games in August, saying it was time that China seriously addressed the Tibet issue.
His call is unlikely to be heeded by anyone, but it was nevertheless important that he was put on record as registering his distaste for the manner in which China has treated the Dalai Lama.
With regard to Zimbabwe, Western countries have called on African states to do more to end the turmoil, which has taken its toll on the region. South Africa’s chamber of commerce said on Wednesday the crisis was contributing to a decline in business confidence.
To their credit, the African Union and regional grouping SADC sent teams to Zimbabwe this week to meet Mugabe and others. They called on all sides to participate in a free and transparent run-off.
It is debatable whether more consultation with its neighbours can help solve the Southern African nation’s woes. Maybe not, but talking is better than nothing.
| FULL SPEED AHEAD |
NOT SO FAST |
Judge Sisi Khampepe
Echoing public sentiment, straight-talking Judge Sisi Khampepe’s report on the mandate and location of the Scorpions — released this week — said that the rationale for the existence of the Scorpions is “as valid today as it was at conception”, and iterated that the unit still has a place in the government’s law-enforcement plan. |
 SABC
What is happening at the SABC? Suspensions and counter-suspensions, tales of infighting and skulduggery. This is no way to run a national broadcaster. Perhaps we need another commission of inquiry? |
Most-read stories
May 1 to 7
1. The Selebi letter Mbeki wants to hide
Suspended prosecutions boss Vusi Pikoli was instructed by Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Brigitte Mabandla, acting on President Thabo Mbeki’s orders, to cancel the Scorpions’ investigation of police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi.
2. Zim run-off vote may face year delay
Zimbabwe’s ruling party has said that a second round of presidential elections could be delayed by up to a year in a move that would extend Robert Mugabe’s rule even though he admits to having lost the first round of voting five weeks ago.
3. Manuel defies Mbeki on arms
In an apparent revolt against a weakened president senior Cabinet ministers and government officials worked to prevent the Chinese arms ship from offloading its cargo, even as Thabo Mbeki insisted that the mortar bombs, rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles be allowed to reach Robert Mugabe’s military.
4. Shake-up at the SABC as CEO suspended
The South African Broadcasting Corporation Group CEO Dali Mpofu has been suspended with immediate effect, the public broadcaster’s board announced on Wednesday.
5. ‘Every little thing she did, her father would hit her’
For Paul Hörer, who first met Josef Fritzl 35 years ago, the Austrian was a “decent, outgoing and, above all, amusing bloke”.
6. MDC divided over boycott of poll re-run
After a day of top level meetings, Zimbabwe’s main opposition party on Saturday failed to make a decision on whether it will take part in presidential run-off elections scheduled for next month.
7. Zim announces election run-off
Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat President Robert Mugabe in the presidential election but faces a run-off vote after failing to win an outright majority, the electoral body said on Friday.
8. Thieves hit Mbeki’s residence
Over the long weekend burglars climbed into the roof of President Thabo Mbeki’s official residence Mahlambandlovu on the Bryntirion Estate in Government Avenue in Pretoria and stole between R20 000 and R30 000 worth of aluminium.
9. Did the weapons go through Angola?
For a massive ship that carries tons of ammunition and has its own cranes on board, the controversial Chinese ship carrying arms for Zimbabwe is about as easy to pin down as a cockroach in a dark, damp cellar.
10. Pinned and wriggling on the wall
Wikipedia: according to a British medical journal of 1972, haemorrhoids “are common in economically developed communities, rare in developing countries and almost unknown in tribal communities, where the influence of Western countries is slight”.
Read more
Our most-read stories for 2007
Our most-read stories for 2006
Our most-read stories for 2005