Volunteering & Volunteer Students

The people of Myanmar are still waiting to receive humanitarian aid.

Another week has passed. More opportunities are lost in providing immediate assistance to the people of Myanmar. While innocent people try to piece their lives back together after the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis, Myanmar authorities continue to obstruct aid. The lives and health of thousands are at risk.

Put pressure on Myanmar authorities to distribute humanitarian aid to victims of Cyclone Nargis.

Myanmar may believe that it does not need to be responsive to its own people; however it does have to answer to the fellow member states of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Under the ASEAN Charter, member states, including Myanmar, are committed to:

• Respecting fundamental freedoms
• Promoting and protecting human rights and social justice
• Upholding the United Nations Charter and international law

Myanmar's actions to obstruct aid from reaching people desperately in need are in violation of the spirit of ASEAN's work. It is time for the ASEAN member states to step up and show leadership in assisting the people of Myanmar. Call on ASEAN to urge the government of Myanmar to provide humanitarian aid to the victims of Cyclone Nargis.

Irene Khan, Amnesty International's Secretary General, recently wrote an open letter to ASEAN(PDF). In it, she warns that "without immediate action by ASEAN leaders, the humanitarian disaster created by Cyclone Nargis and the deliberate obstruction to aid by the Myanmar authorities will result in further massive human rights violations, putting at risk the lives and health of hundreds of thousands of people."

A natural disaster destroyed the lives of many innocent people. A humanitarian disaster shouldn't be the reason they continue to suffer. Call on ASEAN to urge Myanmar authorities to ensure that cyclone victims receive aid.

Thank you for your time!