Myanmar bans foreign journalists after cyclone

The official death count estimate from a cyclone that hit Myanmar Saturday has risen to 22,500, and may continue to rise as millions have lost homes, according to the NY Times today.

41,000 people are still missing after Cyclone Nargis struck Yangon, Myanmar's main city. The cyclone struck just days before residents were set to vote on a new draft constitution. Voting has been delayed in Yangon, but will continue as planned outside of the Irrawaddy Delta area. The new constitution would strengthen the military's grip on power.

But locals report that the government response to the crisis has been slow. They say it lies in contrast to the speedy response a few months ago when police swept in to immediately stifle a non-violent uprising led by monks, where 31 were killed. Monks, on the other hand, have been seen in villages all over the area, cleaning up debris.

Just like after the riots over the protests, foreign journalists have been banned from Myanmar. The military junta favors a tight control over all media, and have put out a ban on all "unofficial" news -- that is, all news not coming from state-controlled radio.

Myanmar is accepting international relief, and the UN and China have both pledged to provide the ailing nation with food. But the disaster and the slow response of government officials have left the citizens angry and grim, according to reports.

Letting in aid programs is an important step for a nation like Myanmar. (Just think, what would happen if North Korea were hit with a disaster like this; would they allow foreign aid? And would anyone offer it?) But with the lackluster performance of their own government in providing relief, can officials really hope to get their constitution passed? If the people of Myanmar want a change to the shabby treatment they've been given in 2008, they have to reject the prospect of more government control. An important step in sparking the change -- let foreign journalists and "unofficial" news reports tell the citizens what is actually going on.