The [him] moderator agrees with Mr Parker who writes: “On the other side of the humanitarian coin, if groups insist that the UN be subject to strict oversight, they must be also. This should apply to cross-border aid groups and indeed any group working on Burma. There also needs to be acknowledgement that internal and cross-border humanitarian intervention can be complimentary. There are still cross-border advocators (sic) that suggest that no aid should enter Burma through official channels, arguing that it is possible to reach the same populations cross-border. Given the current situation, all evidence suggests that this is absurd.”

Burma's military government has released a prominent political activist detained since May.

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists, has announced its decision to honour the Mizzima News Agency with its 2007 Free Media Pioneer Award.