After cyclone Nargis left Myanmar in a devastated state, the country’s military regime has been stubbornly refusing foreign aid. Bold and reluctant, the military junta even went as far as saying that they are more than capable of handling the damage left by Nargis, including reconstruction and taking care of the problems of long-term food shortage.

US Department of Defense Secretary David Gates said that if Myanmar’s top officials still would not open their country to foreign help, he will withdraw the US Navy ships currently located off Myanmar’s coast. Gates further pointed out that the neglect illustrated by Myanmar’s junta is criminal in nature and compared such neglect to genocide.

Myanmar has been suffering the harsh effects of civil war for 45 years now and has been constantly watched by the international community. Violations of human rights – mass rape of women, forced labor, extrajudicial state executions, and coerced relocation – are commonplace in the country. As much as Gates and the rest of the world would like to intervene, international laws prohibit them to do so — violating a nation’s sovereignty is a matter not to be taken lightly.

If China, a more advanced and better-equipped country in comparison to Myanmar, accepted and thanked all nations for helping out after a series of earthquakes struck the nation, why can’t Myanmar do the same?

Still, if Gates chooses to withdraw US ships from Myanmar, he should order the Navy to withdraw slowly for them to be able to quickly go back if Myanmar’s officials decide to have a change of heart.

Former Senator Al D’Amato wrote an article for the Business Politics site.

The New York Times recently published an article about Senator Al D’Amato

Alphonse D’Amato says if we raises taxes, we will lose talent.