Politics and human rights come to a head in Burma, Jessica Loudis

Junta tightens political grip in Burma

Hopes for a political breakthrough in Burma have begun to dwindle after the reigning military junta announced it won 92% approval on a referendum for a military-drafted constitution last weekend. Under the junta's control, international aid groups have been prevented from accessing areas hardest hit by the cyclone, including the Irrawaddy Delta, which bore the brunt of the storm. Additionally, some international aid groups have accused the military of confiscating their food, with others refusing to speak out against the government for fear of being banned from the country. In light of the junta's reluctance to work with humanitarian organizations, the UN has decided to send a top official to Burma to persuade leaders to comply with foreign aid. In the two weeks since Cyclone Nargis struck Burma, 128,000 people have been killed and entire communities have been destroyed, devastating the country's infrastructure and exposing the brutal policies of the nation's current ruling junta.

The toD verdict: In addition to wreaking havoc on Burma's population and infrastructure, Cyclone Nargis has exposed the country to a new threat: harsher government crackdowns in the wake of increased international scrutiny. In the weeks following the crisis, governments and aid organizations from all over the world have focused their attention on Burma, inundating the country with aid packages and field workers, and furthermore, threatening to destabilise the country's tightly-guarded political insularity. As a result, the government has responded with stricter controls against foreigners, and a series of measures designed to affirm its "legitimate" and "popularly mandated" authority.

In tandem with the government's efforts to consolidate their power, one of Nargis' most pronounced effects has been to pit Burma's autocratic junta against NGOs and international government. The devastation in Burma - and the government's failure to respond to it - have raised complex sets of questions about outsiders' right to intervene and at what point exactly political sovereignty must cede to the imperatives of human rights. As the death toll rises and the threat of disease grows, these are questions which cannot be put on hold. Keep up to date with the latest developments and sharpest perspectives in a world of strife and struggle.

Sign up to receive toD's daily security briefings via email by clicking here "Indian Mujahideen" take responsibility for Jaipur bombings A group calling themselves the Indian Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for a spate of bombings that took place in Jaipur this week, killing 61 people and injuring over 216. Eight bombs were strapped to bicycles and detonated in crowded shopping areas of the city, leading police to suspect the attack was orchestrated by the Bangladeshi militant group Arkat-ul-Jihad al Islami. According to Jaipur media, a local news station received an email from the Mujahideen declaring war on India and threatening to kill tourists. The email also included a video of a bicycle with a bomb attached to it. Authorities are suspicious of the credibility of this claim, and have not made any arrests. Read the rest of this post...

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