The situation in Burma today remains delicately poised between a sense of optimism over the developments of yesterday concerning aid and a sense of consternation and frustration over the looming referendum that was to be completed in Rangoon and the Irrawaddy Divisions. There was a slight softening of the junta’s stance on foreign assistance yesterday with the announcement from Ban Ki Moon that all foreign aid workers were to be allowed into the country.

Despite this, it is clear that no amount of foreign workers will be able to counteract the behavior of the authorities in regards to rigging the referendum or misappropriating aid.

Various reports from both foreign and indigenous media are combining to paint a portrait of the relief effort that is none too edifying. Authorities are persisting in the eviction of refugees from shelters and sending them back to non-existent villages. There is a concerted push to keep the real situation of the refugees hidden from higher authorities, with local officials travelling around with loudspeakers, requesting that refugees stay out of sight when donors or government officials are present. Apart from this type of obfuscation, there are reports emerging today of army officers taking money outright from villagers at checkpoints due to the fear of impending food shortages in the delta.

Rangoon went to the polls today to vote in the referendum on the new constitution. The voting process is highly flawed, with pressure on civilians coming from the military and civil servants having no choice but to vote yes if they wish to keep their jobs. The outcome of this clearly rigged vote is bound to have long lasting effects on Burmese society and is set to entrench military control of the country.

As a counterweight to the stories of government malfeasance, there are good news stories emerging from inside. The brotherhood of Burma’s monks continue to do good work for the civilian population; where possible they are providing shelter in monasteries and providing what food supplies that can. Further, there has been an impressive response from Burmese civilian volunteers who are donating their time to do what they can in the relief effort.

Even though some would argue that the relaxation of the restriction on foreigners yesterday would not have happened without there being some future benefit derived from the junta, it is nevertheless a positive development. It is very suspicious however that this decision to allow in more foreign aid workers comes on the eve of the donor meeting in Rangoon to establish who is going to donate what to the relief effort. Hopefully the international community is willing and able to respond with relief funds for Burma, but is able to retain a degree of control in monitoring the dispensation of this aid. If they cannot, the international community risks seeing precious funding subverted by the generals. Those paying the price for this outcome would be the survivors of Nargis.

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