Us should take care of the working poor in their own country first,20% of new yorkers needs food aid, and the us government needs $3billion/day from the Chinese,so how do they really afford GIVING aid is a mystery to me....

Hessu Hopo, Ankkalinna, Agfanistan

The Burmese government should be charged by the world court for crimes against humanity.
First for ignoring the 2 day warning issued by India and second for ignoring world help in the aftermath of this tragic event.

brian smith, Milton, Canada

Too bad there is little financial interest in Burma... else we would've toppled the dictatorship by now.

Ian, Seattle, WA, USA

I agree with all who said that aid offered to Myanmar should b unconditional. US says it is humanitarian. Show us. just send your aid through a 3rd party acceptable to the Junta. I think the Asean leadership is good enough. Surely the Junta will allow Asean relief people to distribute such aid.

Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

I remember Air Drops over over West Berlin in 48-49.I remember the Allies saying we don't give a damn,the people need this,and they dropped the aid.Thats how things were done back in the day.Air Drop the aid regardless of politics!How hard is that?Not hard minus the UN and the political correctness.

Curtis LeMay, Philly, USA

Dave, Lincoln,

Dave, agreeable. But I am sure the Myanmarese people will appreciate aid from any country even from the US or the west. Perhaps it how you will deliver such aid is their concern.
Hv u forgotten, during Katrina, poor Asian countries did offer USA with their humble aid.

Lim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

I think that the aid to Burma should be unconditional,whether it is material or personal.

Wu, Beijing, China

They might transcend pop music, but never politics.

John, Shanghai,

How many more millions need to die and suffer, before the UN uses it's teeth to solve these problems? The Burmese Junta is guilty of genocide, and the punishment should fit the crime. 3 day UN resolution then drop in aid with armed UN soldiers. Ask the people, not their criminal jailers.

Chirs, London,

This looks like a perfect example of what Naomi Klein describes in Shock Doctrine.
Reports that India gave Burma 48 hours warning and an accurate prediction of landfall location, indicate that the Junta is using the storm for a cull of unwanted citizens.
Now the seizures and visa refusals.

David, Pemberton, Canada

Once this crisis is over, the leadership of the Burmese junta should be seized and indicted for crimes against humanity. Insecure and in fear of their own population, they prevent humanitarian aid from reaching those who need it. This is genocide, and the Burmese leaders must be made to pay.

Mike M., boston,

There should be no politics or religion when it comes to disasters - it is about people helping people. And that's it.

Elizabeth, Epping, USA

I really don't think improving attitudes towards white Christian countries is the point.
This is a humanitarian crisis on a scale tremendous enough to transcend politics. If you're slowly starving to death I doubt very much that you will object to the ethnicity of the hand that feeds.

Megan, Edinburgh,

The generous Americans are there with ships and aircraft. No matter how many insults are thrown at them, the USA is always ready to help.

Dr. Nick Ashley, Huntingdon, England

That's pretty cold, Ed in Canada. What kind of message does that send about the co-called "developed world"?

John, Shanghai,

Sad but the US and Western countries should just stop with these aid programmes.

Save the aid and money for Western countries that need it.

Time to start cutting cloth. You never know when we may need it.

Would we get aid from these countries ?

Look after your own first !!

Dave, Lincoln,

If they don’t want Western help, it is up to them sadly.

My deepest sympathies go to the thousands that will die just so the Chinese and their allies can publicise their dislike for Western nations and values, and defend their love of repression and tyranny.

Luke, London, UK

The media need to be there Sarah because it is only by publicising and making the world at large aware of the appalling plight of the suffering Burmese, that funds can be collected from the people of the World for distribution to the needy.

Jon Quirk, Ulan Bator, Mongolia

To Nicholas from Shropshire:

I wonder if you can cure dysentery in a new-born baby by feeding it hardwood.

I'm sure the Burmese people appreciate your knee-jerk socialist gesture as they starve.

Peter K, London, UK

Military Juntas are not especially remowned for there 'care the community style' attitude and a machismo government image is more important than saving the life of a 2 month old baby.

Rob wilkes, portsmouth, england

Anderson Robertson: the difference between the American response to Katrina and the junta's response to Nargis can be explained by the fact that horrific as it was, about 1,800 died in Katrina; Burma's death toll is rather higher. Burma's own resources are going to be somewhat more stretched.

Nicola, London,

Burma are `deeply suspicious of aid from western nations`. Quite rightly so! For America it is all about getting their `disaster assessment teams on the ground`, the aid bit is secondary. For `disaster assessment teams` read CIA operatives.
Leave it to the countries that Burma trusts.

Ozzy, Oldham, UK

"Why does the media need to be present, if everybodies priority is to get aid into the country?" Sarah Jones

Without the media none of this would be world news and there would be no pressure on the regime to change. I used to do Int aid work - and the more global the news the easier aid gets in.

Ava, London, UK

The best thing the world can do is offer the aid with the strict proviso that it is the UN that administers it. If not granted then let the people die. The blood is on the Juntas hands. I dont give to aid agencies any more as it just goes to the dictators.

John, Egremont,

This is a sad indictment of the chronic incompetence and corruption of most ASEAN leaders. They are afraid so say or do anything in case the same happens to them and their "leadership" is threatened. That's why they've never spoken up against Burma, regardless of what that country's despots do.

Bill Peter, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Isn't it time the UN did something constructed and removed these little idiots who like playing soliders from being in charge in Burma.

I'm sure you could take most of the top guard and there families down in a day (and yes the families have to go because like weeds they will grow back).

Dan, London, England

Just goes to show how little regerd the Junta has for thier citizens. They are afraid that by letting the world help they will be put under pressure to change thier ways. Of course, they have no oil, so we won't pressure them too much anyway.

Ron, Milton Keynes, UK

I find the Military Junta's position not dissimilar to the American's position at the time of Katrina and the New Orlean's disaster. At that time Castro offered Bush the services of 1800 Cuban doctors but the Yanks did not even acknowledge receipt of the offer.

Anderson B Robertson, Dunoon, Scotland

'Earlier, one relief flight was sent back after landing in Rangoon from Qatar because it carried a search and rescue team and media who had not received permission to enter the country.'
Why does the media need to be present, if everybodies priority is to get aid into the country?

Sarah Jones, London, England

Well God Bless those who have pasted R.I.P.
And if they believe they can do it without outsiders interfering then so be it. Is all they want is the AIDS to help there people so less of all the backlash between you all it`s not helping them they know what needs doing it`s there country.

samantha, CO/WESTMEATH, IRELAND

At last a country who refuses the west.

Lets face it they are the military and if they cannot fix things who can.

Why would a load of non locals who cannot even speak the language be able to help.

They have doctors and nurses over there.

All our hard wood comes from Burma

Nicholas Iles, Oswestry, Shropshire

Today: Do something America! Tomorrow: America out now!

David Masu, Zürich,

The white christian countrys appear to be the only one bothered by this.

Frederick, London, UK

Yep lets give them the aid without watching it
how much would reach those that need it and how huch would go to into the military and other friends of the leaders. They would just use it to secure their position.

knight, aberdeen, uk

Here we go again. A repeat of the tsunami disaster in Malaysia. Will the west never learn..All the help in Malaysia did'nt soften the anti-christian attitudes and help in Burma wont change the government.If the people see their governments innaction maybe it will stimulate a revolution , back off.

Ed Allen, Whitby , Canada

facing disaster, pls all of u forget about politics , life is the most valuable.

Laura, Nanjing, China

The Burmese military junta must all be arrested and tried dor Crimes Against Humanity. Why do the US just sabre rattle? You've kicked Talibans before, this SE Asian weakling should be a walk in the park.

Patrice Cornelius, Singapore,

If like "Gloum" the US-haters think Thailand, China, Indonesia, India and Japan can do better than the Yanks, where is the massive aid the Yanks already have standing offshore and beyond Burma's borders. As usual, America is there 'firstest with the mostest". Despite how they are hated.

Robert Evans, Anaheim, California

Don't threaten DO IT.
Start the aid relief immediately.

Jerry Scroggin, Phoenix, Arizona/USA

This will have the Bush-bashers whining. After all, better to let people die than allow the US military to help people.

Nick, Rotherham, UK

I just can't believe my eyes ! With the calamitous record of the Bush administration with Katrina in New-Orleans right in the US ! How can they speak like that of a disaster half a world away ! I'm confident that Thailand, China, Indonesia, India, and Japan can achieve better than the US.

Gloum, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei