Am I the only person who is a little disturbed at how little coverage the Burma cyclone is getting? I mean I remember the huge coverage the tsunami in Indonesia got, blanket coverage almost every where. People out with buckets on every street corner. So why aren’t we out collecting for Burma?
I’d hate to think it is just because not so many white western types died. But part of me thinks that has to have an impact.
I know, it is a lot easier to sympathise when someone of your own locality/nationality dies. Or maybe it is just that the tourists in Indonesia had cameras and videos and the footage was totally overwhelming. Or maybe western, english-speaking people work better telling their own stories of horror, rather than translators relating some one else’s story?
I don’t really know why it isn’t getting the same level of coverage but don’t you think that maybe you could donate a couple of quid?
And okay, maybe forecasts of 80,000 dead don’t come any close to the numbers of casualties after the tsunami, but come on, it is one huge tragedy.
There's a report on the news right now and I think Burma itself is to blame, only opening its borders to aid from certain countries. They are afraid of being 'invaded' and France is even thinking of providing aid by 'force'….strange times, allowing your own people to die and not accept outside help.
Yeah, that's true weenie. The whole Burmese Junta thingy is the root of a lot of the problems.
Good call Fence. I think the media just fall in love with the more 'glamorous' disasters/events or the Western ones because as we all know 1 western life is worth a good 10,000 in the rest of the world…, and it seems to need the media to make a big thing out of it before ordinary people do. or maybe it's just that it's bloody confusing switching between the two names! (in my stooopidity I actually thought initially there was a cyclone in two places – Burma and Myanmar *for shame*)
I'm still not totally sure which one we should be using, Burma or Myanmar. Maybe I should google and find out.
To be honest I don't think it is anything as blatantly racist as no white people died we don't have to care. More the fact that the Burmese people don't have the privilege of speaking English, or having the technology that would allow each of them broadcast their own story.
And of course their govt. really doesn't help.
Thta's true :)
As regards the name, Wikipedia lists it as Burma but then says the 'title is under dispute'. And Wikipedia is obviously right…
Ahhh, look at the scary fox!