Burmese in New Delhi urge more aid to cyclone victims

by Mizzima News

Monday, 12 May 2008 20:23

New Delhi - Burmese pro-democracy activists in New Delhi on Monday staged a protest urging Burma's military rulers to immediately allow international aid agencies to enter the Irrawaddy delta and Rangoon division to help the cyclone victims. Led by the All Burma Students' League (ABSL), Burmese protesters said with the dire situation in the Irrawaddy delta, where cyclone Nargis has wrought the biggest havoc, the Burmese junta should not adopt dilatory tactics in letting foreign aid workers in. The protest held at the Jantar Mantar square in New Delhi also urged the government to cooperate with the aid agencies as the junta is not capable of handling the crisis, which according to a few Burmese elders is the worst disaster in Burma's modern history. Meanwhile, the military junta today for the first time allowed a US military aircraft to fly in to Burma with relief supplies. However, the protesters said the quantum of aid entering the country is far too little to help the more than 1.5 million estimated cyclone victims.  According to the UN Development Programme in Rangoon, Cyclone Nargis, which lashed Burma's Irrawaddy and Rangoon division on May 2 and 3, had severely affected 1.2 to 1.9 million people. Burmese pro-democracy activists and Indian supporters have begun collecting donations as aid for the cyclone victims < Prev   Next >