Aid being loaded onto a RC RC plane in Kuala Lumpur last week.

Aid being loaded onto a RC RC plane in Kuala Lumpur last week. Credit: Reuters. , originally uploaded by disastersemergencycommittee.

When Burmese Offer a Hand, Rulers Slap It

The politics of food aid — deciding who gets to deliver assistance to those homeless and hungry after the cyclone — is not just confined to the dispute between Myanmar’s military junta and Western governments and outside relief agencies.

Even Myanmar citizens who want to donate rice or other items have in several cases been told that all assistance must be channeled through the military. That restriction has angered local government officials like Tin Win who are trying to help rebuild the lives of villagers. He twitched with rage as he described the rice the military gave him.