The Burmese people know

So, there has been a lot of criticism against the Myanmese government for their rejection of aid for the victims of the cyclone at the beginning of this month. In my opinion this criticism is justified. There are videos of bloated, rotting bodies floating in the rivers, polluting already polluted waters. These corpses will speed the delivery of diseases if the rivers aren't cleaned and people aren't given clean water to drink and food to eat. The government is being stubborn and not fulfulling it's responsibilities as protectors of the people it governs. However, now, the people know. The Junta can't continue to lie to the population any longer, saying it is helping, because the people know what is going on. They know about the two ships full of food and supplies the Junta hasn't allowed in, they know about the visa hold-ups, the redirection of labour to reconstruction, and the confiscated supplies. They know, and they're angry. Hopefully they are angry enough to do something about the Junta, and will demand the rights they have been denied.




http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7416952.stm

Canada helping out, or colonialism back in power?

Check this out:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7379272.stm
canada's police force takes on corruption in the islands

Burma

I need to show you all a video from the BBC. As a warning, it's heartbreaking and has graphic images.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7385289.stm

What can I do? I want to do something to help.

deciding to continue...

In 1970 Mr Barre proclaimed a socialist state, paving the way for close relations with the USSR. In 1977, with the help of Soviet arms, Somalia attempted to seize the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, but was defeated thanks to Soviet and Cuban backing for Ethiopia, which had turned Marxist.

The capitol, Mogadishu:
This is the scene of arguably Africa's worst humanitarian crisis. Lawlessness has been rife since the military government collapsed in 1991. The UN estimates 1 million people have become refugees. Government forces, backed by Ethiopian troops, defeated the Islamic militia who, for the second half of 2006, controlled much of the country.
A transitional government, which emerged in 2004, is backed by the UN, and the self-proclaimed state of Somaliland and the region of Puntland run their own affairs

A Timeline:

In 1991 President Barre was overthrown by opposing clans, but they failed to agree on a replacement and plunged the country into lawlessness and clan warfare.

In 2000 clan elders and other senior figures appointed Abdulkassim Salat Hassan president at a conference in Djibouti. A transitional government was set up, with the aim of reconciling warring militias. As its mandate drew to a close, the administration had made little progress in uniting the country.

In 2004, after protracted talks in Kenya, the main warlords and politicians signed a deal to set up a new parliament, which later appointed a president. The fledgling administration, the 14th attempt to establish a government since 1991, has faced a formidable task in bringing reconciliation to a country divided into clan fiefdoms.

Its authority was further compromised in 2006 by the rise of Islamists who gained control of much of the south, including the capital, after their militias kicked out the warlords who had ruled the roost for 15 years.

With the backing of Ethiopian troops, forces loyal to the interim administration seized control from the Islamists at the end of 2006. A surge in violence ensued. It is estimated that 60% of Mogadishu's residents have since fled their homes.

After the collapse of the Siad Barre regime in 1991, the north-west part of Somalia unilaterally declared itself the independent Republic of Somaliland. The territory, whose independence is not recognised by international bodies, has enjoyed relative stability.

This is a quick overview of the recent past from the bbc and can be found here.

superfulous blog

I'm just curious about this blog thing. I write to share things I think are important. I read blogs I find interesting, and comment on between 75 and 50% of the posts I read. I like hearing how people are doing and I like commenting so they know I'm interested in what they have to say (as well as to share an opinion). Since I write mostly for other people I like to get feedback. However, I don't want people to feel like they have to leave comments if they have nothing to say, so I thought I'd just see who is out there reading (as far as I know there's only one person who reads this), to decide whether I should bother blogging here. I mean, if the only people who read my blog are people I could just email anyway, then it's superfluous.
Right?
Right.

The Soviets and the seeds for revolution...

Due to Britain's support of Kenya's decision not to grant the ethnically Somali NFD to Somalia, diplomatic ties were severed. Relations were similar with France as a result of opposition to the French presence in the Territory of the Afars and Issas (formerly French Somaliland, later independent Djibouti).

As mentioned earlier, Somalia's major political theme is the reunification of Greater Somalia, mainly the groups which had been forcibly merged into other states. These are mainly in French Somaliland, in Ethiopia (the annexed Ogaden and Haud regions) and in northern Kenya. However, wodepsread failure to make any progress is blamed on the strong western support for Ethiopia and Kenya. Therefore, although Somalia's leaders have been educated at the hands of her previous western leaders, she also wished to to demonstrate self-reliance and nonalignment. Thus, with diplomatic relations strained or cut off from the western world, Somalia turned to another powerful backer: the Soviet Union.

The growth of Soviet influence in Somalia dated from 1962, when Moscow agreed to provide loans to finance the training and equipping of the armed forces. By the late 1960s, about 300 Soviet military personnel were serving as advisers to the Somali forces, whose inventories had been stocked almost entirely with equipment of East European manufacture. During the same period, about 500 Somalis received military training in the Soviet Union.

The Soviet Union also provided nonmilitary assistance, including technical training scholarships, printing presses, broadcasting equipment for the government, and agricultural and industrial development aid. By 1969 considerable nonmilitary assistance had also been provided by China. Such projects included the construction of hospitals and factories and in the 1970s of the major north-south road.

Despite the reliance on the Soviets, the United States was given the task of training the police force. The Somali government purposely sought different foreign sponsors to instruct its security forces, and Western-trained police were seen as counterbalancing the Soviet-trained military. Likewise, the division of training missions was believed to reduce dependence on either the West or the communist countries to meet Somali security needs.

Eventually having both American and Soviet instructors training the different security forces took its toll and Somalia was going to have to choose a side in the Cold War.

Sources here, here, here, and here.

Burma

Here is a quick blurb about the Burma situation:

Situation Report

The overall situation in Burma has deteriorated significantly since the protests last fall. 80% of the leadership of the monk and student networks that led the protests have been caught and jailed. The remaining 20% are on the run, hiding in safe houses and constantly at risk. The Burmese generals have used torture extensively to work their way through these networks. They have also immediately and viciously cracked down on any street protests. One of our original hopes was to break the media and internet blackout that the Burmese generals had imposed on the country. But now, even if we did, there are no significant protests to cover. The public protests have been smothered, for now.

There is hope, and with all of our support, Avaaz is helping it grow. No dictatorship was ever overthrown without much sacrifice and long struggle. The Burmese have struggled for 20 years, they are fighting a long fight, and we are committed to stay with them.

Here are the main reasons for hope:

1. The protests last fall brought a whole new generation of nonviolent activists into politics. Hundreds of thousands of new people are eager to take up the cause.
2. The brutality against monks, revered by all Burmese, was the last straw for the Burmese generals. They have now lost all legitimacy whatsoever with the people -- they are holed up in a jungle capital and rule by force of terror alone.
3. There are signs of dissension within the Burmese military, as some senior officers refused to crack down on the protesters.
4. International pressure remains steady. The Junta has been pressured, by the UN Security Council and by China, into fast tracking their (flawed) plan for democratization, and have announced a constitutional referendum to be held in May.
5. 2008 is going to be a big year for the Burmese democracy movement. Plans are being made, the movement is thinking big and planning its return.

Info found here.