Latest reports suggest over 22,000 people have died as a result of the cyclone to have hit Burma at the weekend.Tens of thousands - possibly hundreds of thousands - more risk dying from secondary illnesses such as disease.
Burma's evil military junta has finally recognised that it needs help from the international community. And yet not only are the Burmese proving to be remarkably slow to grant visas to foreign aid workers but in some cases, they are refusing to grant visas at all.
I know of one senior UN official who, because of his nationality, is being denied a visa. This man played a widely-praised and prominent role in the UN relief effort in Pakistan. But because he is British, the Burmese won't let him in. The Burmese people are being denied his expertise.
If this doesn't show, yet again, quite how depraved the Burmese leaders are then what will?
