SG Ban Acknowledges Myanmar's "Cooperation"

It was with the main goal of speeding up humanitarian relief in Myanmar that United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with Myanmar’s junta leaders. Myanmar’s corruption on various levels escaped critique; discussions of the detainment of a pro-democracy leader, improper voting procedures during the latest election, and human rights abuses were not mentioned. This was a bargaining tactic that the Secretary General was ready to play as he ultimately concluded the talks with dozens of visas for UN relief workers.

It was with the with the two to three million displaced and now homeless individuals in Myanmar that Ban had in mind when he avoided talks on politics that he felt would only make the leader of Myanmar unwilling to communicate or accept aid. While some believe that this was an opportunity to put pressure on the government, others say it was a smart more. The Secretary General also left before the second round of voting on a constituional referendum that would give the military junta further control over he government and its people in order to avoid the image that he was in any way supportive. Although Ban expressed his disappointment at not being able to address other problems, he did ackowledge the “new spirit of cooperation.” It is indeed a rare showing of what is now considered “cooperation,” with at least some humanitarian aid trickling in. In my own opinion, it is absolutely necessary to cater to the needs of people, especially in such a dire situation. The government has been a source of problems for years, but it's time for the international community to be committed to the "now" when the people of Myanmar continue to suffer.