Burma grants all UN visa requests

Stephanie Messana

I. Citation
"Burma grants all UN visa requests"
BBC News
May 29, 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7425130.stm

II. Summary
This article is about how Burma is finally allowing help to come into the country to aid after a cyclone hit the area. The Cyclone Nargis hit the area a few weeks ago and devastated the area. Thousands of people became homeless or lost their lives due to the tragic storm. Although tens of thousands of people needed aid in Burma and surrounding areas, the country was not allowing any foreigners into the country for aid. BBC News correspondants think that this is because of pride. The countries media is also bashing internation efforts to help the needy country.

III. Reactions
- This article relates to the AP World History Theme "impact of interaction among and within major societies" because it involes other world societies and Burma. Other parts of the world are interacting with Burma to provide help while their country is in a devastated state.
- The historical background of the issue is that on May 2, 2008 a cyclone hit Myanmar killing, injuring, and leaving thousands of people homeless. Previously, Burma was not allowing any foreigners into the country for unclear reasons.
- The point of view of the article is unclear.
- The point of view of the author of this article is unclear, however a statement made by a correspondent for the news organization did comment on Burma's pride and that was somewhat biased.
- To better understand the article, the point of view of a Burmese leader or a victim of the cycle would make the issue better understandable.
- I thought that Burma not allowing any aid into the country until recently was a little stuck up and incredibly annoying. Myanmar is a small and not so rich country, so rejecting help seemed a little ungrateful. If you're offered help, you should take advantage of it because more people probably died waiting for the help needed. If Burma had allowed other nations to aid them, more people might have survived the disaster.