One of the traits of extremely secretive regimes is that they assiduously deny reality, even when no one could reasonably blame them for a particular incident. An example of this comes from Burma, home of arguably the world's most repressive dictatorship.
The opposition website the Democratic Voice of Burma notes that: The media and newspapers of Burma’s military junta, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) are still refusing to acknowledge that recent earthquake ever affected the people of Burma.
The junta owns newspaper, the New Light of Myanmar only featured on its front page, messages of sympathy from the SPDC chairman General Than Shwe, vice-chairman General Maung Aye and “Prime Minister” Lieutenant-General Soe Win to leaders of the country affected by the earthquake.
The generals expressed their sorrow and sympathy for the deaths of people in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and India due to the earthquake, but the chairman is still silent on how to help Burmese victims.
At the same time, the president of Burma’s neighbour, China, Wu Jintao on 28 December sent a message of sympathy for the loss of lives in Burma due to the quake making the Burmese generals blush with shame.
1 comment:
Not far north of Phuket, across the Burma/Myanmar border is the Mergui Archipelago. Now if the Andamans and Nicobar, on th esame latitude, are crushed to the extreme just how does the Mergui stay unaffected? Maybe a general will let us know...?
Mike
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