I have been a little disconnected from the news over the last few days, but the horrible, seemingly inevitably increasing casualty figures that are coming out of Myanmar are proving eerily reminiscent of another terrible tragedy that struck Asia not too long ago. It seems impossible a lot of the time to escape the sense of helplessness that one feels when a disaster of this magnitude occurs. In a very base human sense, one feels unfairly lucky; lucky to be so far away from it all. I really do hope that the Rudd Government along with the rest of the world digs deep to help the country, and that the regime in Myanmar has the common sense to allow the world to play an effective role in the recovery effort. It is a horrible occasion, but perhaps the opportunity should now be taken by Myanmar’s military regime to let in some light in a socio-political sense. I am not sure that any conceivable good could make recompense for the lives that have been lost, but if the regime does consequently fall, at least some small good for the people of Burma will have been derived from this meaningless, random horror.

Now would be an excellent opportunity for the Federal Government to engage with the community and encourage a significant outlay of both private and public funds to be made. I will certainly be making a donation to play my part – I can only suggest that you think about what you can spare and do the same.