Burma’s Agony
Ban Ki-moon’s appointment last year as UN Secretary-General raised hopes that the organization would play a more meaningful role in Asian affairs. More than a year into his tenure, however, no issue in Asia begs for a stronger UN response than the situation in Burma, and nowhere is Ban’s leadership falling shorter.
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As the death toll mounts from the cyclone that struck a densely populated area of Burma stretching from the Irrawaddy Delta to the capital city of Rangoon continues to soar, the country’s military dictatorship is pressing ahead with efforts to consolidate its power. The junta leaders have done little to facilitate recovery efforts in the wake of the disaster. Indeed, they have announced their intentions to move forward with conducting a national referendum scheduled for Saturday to approve a new constitution, which they hope will entrench their power for decades to come.