Than Shwe: This Child Is Burma’s Only Future: Do Not Let An Entire Generation of Burmese Children Be Wiped Out by Your Inaction
May 9th, 2008 | 5 responses
According to my contact in Yangon, what pitiful supplies are on the ground, have no distribution whatsoever to any of the thousands of villages and tributaries in Burma hit into utter devastation by the tsunami/ cyclone. The Burmese, most poorer than poor before the tsunami, are going on their 6th sunrise without clean water, food, or shelter or medicines.
Meanwhile, it is certain, while the military government gets down their fiddles, the infants and newborns and toddlers grow dehydrated. Without adequate water and food, their mothers’ breasts will have run out of milk, and the children will die from dehydration, an entire generation of young will be gone within a week.
Than Shwe: You cannot keep others from knowing about the mayhem of your country. Burma is on satellite. The floods and the people and the animals can be seen dead and floating and bloated. The living can be seen by satellite also, picking through ruins, entire villages wiped out with no survivors.
Than Shwe, delaying allowing aid workers in, makes you only look more and more unleaderly.
Than Shwe, animals survive by adapting. Animals who can learn new behavior, survive the unforeseen.
Than Shwe, animals who do as they have always done, die.
Than Shwe, open your heart, if not your mind. Be known as a ruler who took care of his people in every way possible, rather than going down in history as the leader who stood by paralyzed and allowed holy people and helpless people, his own kith and kin, to die in misery.
CODA
I hear from my contact in Yangon, that the people on the ground in Burma are begging that international aeroplanes please fly over and drop supplies.
Than Shwe, if they fly, let them fly unmolested. Add no more horror to horror. It’s within your power. Choose honorific over horrific.
Than Shwe, the new respect you would receive then, would be remarkable.
This is our deepest prayer for you Than Shwe, and for the people of Burma… the Central Buddhist Precept:
Deprive no living thing of its life.
5 Responses to “Than Shwe: This Child Is Burma’s Only Future: Do Not Let An Entire Generation of Burmese Children Be Wiped Out by Your Inaction”
Thank you for your posts on this heart-wrenching subject. Nero fiddles while Rome burns. My heart is broken and I feel so helpless.
dear Leebot. Keep that candle lit in your heart, which is so very vast, I can see. Holding awareness, even though painful, while others feignt away, helps to keep egregious situations above ground instead of letting them sink into oblivion. Much good can still come… even when wrapped in the worst kind of bad
I know. I hate that it's too often this way on earth. But, there are many of us here of like mind. I believe we can bear much when we can see that we're rowing together Leebot… just by you saying something out loud, something useful or encouraging or insightful or innovative or M.A.S.H. funny about the savagings of our times, your thoughts and words and prayers are very often a deep pull on the oars. I say, let's continue Leebot.
dr.e
dr. e What is your opinion for the best way to help? Donations? To which entities? I would love advice on that from you if you have suggestions. It feels so hit or miss right now re: who is getting access so it's hard to know how to make an impact.
dear Jill, for you and what I know of your life, turn to your contacts in law and your journo affiliations at The Plain Dealer, and anywhere else you have written for on a regular basis. and join their efforts for Burma. Also, if you belong to a humanitarian sodality or church group, join their efforts. I think I recall you had a social work degree. See about the national group of MSWs and LSWs and join their efforts. You can also send money earmarked for Burma to the Red Cross, the UN CHildren's Fund and many other reliable mercy organizations. If you were here, I would take you to the Thai-Burmese community here and the deeply concerned Buddhists. There is strength in numbers, as they say. There are many more ways to help; the internet alone will show you hundreds.
I think most of all, support the spirits and souls of those who are doing the hard work of facing off with evil while helping others. Wherever you find such occuring in the world. The close in workers suffer. Whatever love or appreciation you pour their way will be appreciated.
If you are a praying woman, you can join us Jillmz, 'the women in black' from La Sociedad de Guadalupe; we sometimes believe we can peel paint off the walls with our prayers. Pray, then go do. Pray, then go do something useful. Pray, then do something helpful. Pray, rest. Pray, eat. Pray, sleep. Pray, laugh. Pray, go do something helpful. Continuan. Like that.
Hang in there.
dr.e
it has always been a great pleasure reading your articles, you are a great blogger, keep working this way, thanks.