by Maung Chan (Burma’s Chinese)

   In order to force Burma’s military regime for democratic reforms, USA has taken a definite hard line against dealing with the junta, but other nations in Europe are now pushing for humanitarian initiatives to ease the suffering of Burma's people.

   EU,in fact, has suspended most of its aid to Burma except the humanitarian health project.It is why “The Global Fund” has agreed earlier 98.5 million dollars over 5 years to battle AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis – three fatal diseases that are prevalent in Burma.

   However, surprisingly, “The Global Fund” withdrew from Burma in August last year, giving reasons that the junta's had restricted on its aid workers’ movement and limitted on imports of its medical supplies.

   Nevertheless, according to our confidential sources, it is mainly because of significant pressure from some influential US key lawmakers who want to overthrow burma’s junta and oppose any compromise.

   International community and the World-people know very well that such banning programs to Burma’s three fatal diseases is a "death sentence" for Burma’s suffering people.

   Burma’s people should die massively in despair, but the ban does not hurt Burma's junta at all.

   According to UN, people of Burma is suffering one of the worst AIDS epidemics in Asia, which threatens spreading over the region, as well as the world. More than 31 percent of prostitutes have HIV while nearly 38 percent of injecting drug users have the virus. Burma also has one of the world's highest caseloads of tuberculosis, with 97,000 new cases detected each year, while malaria is the nation's leading cause of illness and death.

   Every one knows, Burma is one of the world’s poorest country.People of Burma have suffered bitterly from civil war,military dictatorship and the mentioned three fatal diseases for a half century. They cry to heaven,earth and the world,but in vain, all ignor the sufferer. Countless Burma’s dying people are now floundering desperately.

   Should the kind world-people look on with folded arms the Burma’s innocent people crying and die of these fatal diseases, merely because the junta does not reform the country?

   A group of European donors-- the European Commission, Australia, Britain, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden etc-- plans to replace the fund worth millions of dollars necessary to complete the battle against the three fatal diseases. The new donors took initiative contact on Jan 19, with Burma’s military regime,opposition parties and civilian groups to exchange views and opinions in order to improve their humanitarian help.

   Having studied Burma’s tri-partite proposals and the Global Fund’s valuable experiences ,the European new donors conclude and announce their humanitarian help policy:

   1. Avoid conflict with the EU “Common Position" on Burma.

   2.Ensure their humanitarian fund never directly supporting the military regime

   3.Let their aid workers freely travel where they need to.

   4.Release new funding based on the results achieved in the projects and give priority to local authorities.

   ( S.H.A.N. & Burma’s News Published by Burma’s Chinese )