Burma and the UN
An angry cyclone pounded Burma last week and left a bitter cloud of despair in its wake. As entire villages now battle to survive, thousands of aid workers sit just over the borders waiting for the call to go in and help. By refusing to allow relief agencies into their country, the murderous Burmese military has once again demonstrated a complete disregard for the welfare of the Burmese people.
The United Nations is full of professionals with extensive experience in responding to exactly this type of emergency. Too often American politicians beat up on the UN as a way of scoring cheap political points at home. While some UN guests do criticize America, how many other nations have enough confidence in their government to invite hostile foreign leaders into their political forums?
If not for the unfortunate political situation in Burma, the United Nations would now be airlifting massive shipments of relief supplies into the most remote corners of that country. This should be a tremendous source of pride for the United States, which has always been closely associated with the UN.
In 1945, President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill led the effort to establish the United Nations. They specifically wanted to prevent a repeat of the horrific series of events which spawned World War II. Prior to that, President Woodrow Wilson worked tirelessly to promote the League of Nations, which went out of business but served as a model for the United Nations. Today the United Nations has 192 members. By now those other countries know that UNICEF and UNESCO did not just spring forth from thin air.
The United Nation’s ability to provide emergency humanitarian aid is unparalleled in the history of the world. Let’s hope the Burmese military will get out of the way soon so that the UN can do its job.
Burma, United Nations, UNICEF, UNESCO
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