The Burmese military government’s recent moves to seal off access to the cyclone survivors in the Irrawaddy delta has proved, once again, how far Burma continues to sink into the sad image of a failed state.
 
On June 9 the Burmese generals imposed higher bureaucratic hurdles to prevent aid reaching cyclone victims, issuing strict new guidelines that instruct UN agencies and all other relief groups to first seek permission for travel and aid distribution from three separate government offices.
 
Foreigners working with relief agencies must now acquire official permits from each of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Social Welfare.
 
Burmese groups must also deal with local authorities, police and army checkpoints, and frequent requests for backhanded payments.
 
The Light Infantry Division 66 and Southwest Command have been handed the task of enforcing regulations and movement at ground level in the delta.
 
Meanwhile, soldiers continue to detain individuals "without permits" who brave taking aid to survivors of the May 2-3 storm. Prominent entertainer and political activist Zarganar, who became personally involved in leading relief operations in the delta, was arrested and imprisoned on June 4.
 
Likewise, Zaw Thet Hwe, a former sports journal editor, who was distributing aid to cyclone survivors, was arrested on June 14 and, on the same day, seven volunteer aid workers, members of a team known as “The Group that Buries the Dead,” were also arrested after being caught burying victims of Cyclone Nargis.
 
To date, the Burmese authorities have not confirmed where the detainees are being held and their respective families have expressed concern about their disappearances. 
 
Observers have suggested that their arrests are linked to a continuing trend by overseas Burmese and international supporters to send their donations to grassroots organizations led by respected, trusted persons inside Burma, such as Zarganar, and not to state-run charities.
 
The government mouthpiece New Light of Myanmar announced on June 16 that all local donations should be made through the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Subcommittee of the National Disaster Preparedness Central Committee and its district and township offices.
 
Many private donors said they are now discouraged from being involved in relief efforts due to the obstacles created by the military authorities.
 
As a result, Buddhist monks again find themselves playing a key role in civil society¬by acting as a conduit between private donors and those in need. Buddhist monasteries have been serving as places of refuge and care ever since the cyclone struck on May 2-3. Neglected by state agencies, cyclone survivors were usually able to find shelter, food, medical care and compassion in local monasteries.
 
As a further concern, it is widely feared that Burma's food security will be at risk if farmers in the delta can’t resume growing rice this year. The rice-planting season should have started by early June, when farmers in Burma typically plow their fields with water buffalo and prepare to plant new seeds for the October harvest. But time is running out, experts warn.
 
The Burmese regime’s incessant foot-dragging and bureaucratic obstacles are blocking the capacity for people in the delta to recover. Now there are real fears that a fresh stream of refugees will start seeking a better life in Thailand in the near future.
 
The regime's imprudent actions are leading an already impoverished country downhill into a socio-economic abyss.