The [him] moderator would have thought that the Campaign would be unreservedly delighted that one of their recommendations was partly fulfiled. Most campaigns see no impact from their work.
[him] moderator
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Burma Campaign UK welcomes DFID’s decision to double aid to Burma
Burma Campaign UK
1 November
The Burma Campaign UK welcomes the announcement by The Secretary of State
for International Development, Douglas Alexander MP, to double British aid
to Burma from £8.8 million this year to £18 million by 2010. Douglas
Alexander made the announcement during the first debate on Burma in the
House of Commons on Monday.
The Burma Campaign had condemned DFID’s failure to take action on any of
the key recommendations made by the International Development Committee
and has been calling on DFID to implement the recommendations of the
Committee.
“We are delighted that DFID is finally listening and recognizes the urgent
need for more aid to Burma,” said Zoya Phan, Campaigns Officer at the
Burma Campaign UK. “However, this is just a first step. DFID now needs to
implement all of the recommendations made by the International Development
Committee, including funding for cross border aid, which is the only way
to reach some of the most vulnerable people in Burma, and projects
supporting human rights and democracy in Burma.”
The International Development Committee, a cross-party committee of MPs
which scrutinizes the work of DFID, has called for key changes in DFID’s
aid policy, including:
• A quadrupling of aid to Burma by 2013, taking aid from £8.8m to £35.3m a
year.
• Providing cross-border aid in addition to in-country aid, to ensure aid
reaches internally displaced people who cannot be reached through
in-country mechanisms because of restrictions imposed by the regime.
• Funding projects promoting human rights and democracy, including exile
based Burmese women’s groups and the trade union movement.
• Setting up alternative mechanisms to provide funding for HIV/AIDS,
malaria and TB in parts of the country that the 3D fund can’t reach
because of restrictions by the regime.
For more information contact Zoya Phan, Campaigns Manager, on 020 73244712.
As a provider of medical care on the Burmese border I am embarrassed and dismayed by the British Governments aid inside Burma. It is not possible to explain how the money is to be kept out of the hands of the Burmese military government. All parts of the expenditure provide support for the military and their friends, starting with the transport for visitors to arrive on and continuing with house or hotel rent, fuel for transport, cars, telecommunications, medicine, equipment etc. We all know that all the providers of these materials and services in Burma are linked to, or friends of, the military government but we ignore it.
Then there is the question of the unequal distribution of aid, only to those favoured by the government in areas dominated by the soldiers. This is what military governments do, strengthening their own hand. This strength is then used to oppress their opponents, who are those that seek freedom and a better way of organising and a more equal sharing of resources in a way we claim to agree with and support.
Then nothing from DFID for cross-border to help those suffering most from the violence of the soldiers of the government and their distorted use of resources. We see the effects of this every day, but little of it attracts any attention where the aid funding decisions are made.
Burma has all the human and material resources it could need. It is the government's monopoly control and allocation backed by violence that is the cause of the problem. Yet government insists on dealing with government no matter how bad. If they can see no alternative way of working, doing nothing would be better.