Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, the long-suffering people of Myanmar are once again gripped by tragedy. On May 2, Cyclone Nargis slammed into Myanmar, ripping through the southern part of the country and leaving a path of enormous devastation. The United Nations reports that so far the cyclone has killed between 60,000 to 100,000 people and affected well over one million. Hundreds of thousands of people are without food, fuel, clean water and shelter. As high as the death toll is now, the greater fear, Mr. Speaker, is that disease, like cholera, will spread in the affected areas, taking many more lives. Aid agencies claim that one million people could die if measures are not taken to stem the effect of diseases. Such a large-scale tragedy demands a large-scale relief effort, and the international community is ready to assist the people of Myanmar. But sadly, it is Myanmar's own government that is slowing the delivery of aid.”