Bloggers Bring Burma into the Spotlight

Two weeks ago, we brought you information about the crisis in Burma, generated by Cyclone Nargis hitting Myanmar. The natural disaster was amplified by the Burmese military junta's refusal to open the country's doors to external aid. Up until now, the death toll has been reported to be of 78,000, with an additional number of 55,000 people missing. Taking in consideration the high number of victims, several political leaders have expressed their disagreement to the actions of the military junta in Burma.

The disaster that struck Myanmar on May 2 has prompted a number of organizations to join forces in trying to bring support to the Burmese people. Google was one of the leading companies to have tried to take its resources and use them in order to aid the victims of the Nargis Cyclone. Thanks to Google, news and details about the disaster have spread quite rapidly among the blogging community throughout the world.

A number of bloggers have voiced their criticism for the Burmese government, whose slow reactions have increased the number of dead and missing victims. The British Prime Minister stands by the bloggers' statements and talks about a "coup de blog," asking governments all over the world to act and be accountable in countries like Zimbabwe, Sudan and Burma. The PM also added that: "It is true that we have not been able to get as much food and supplies into Burma as we would like, but now a country like Burma cannot remain hidden."

The British PM is not the only political official to have expressed his concerns regarding the methods of the Burmese government. The French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has also encouraged countries on the U.N. Security Council to put pressure on the Burmese military junta and hold the government responsible for the high number of victims.

The US ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Scot Marciel, has also warned the Burmese military junta that if the number of deaths increases, they will be held directly responsible for not letting the aid forces do their job.