Two Tragedies, Two Responses
By David Aikman

When Burma--also called Myanmar--suffered a massive tropical storm that drowned thousands of its people, it refused for days to allow foreign relief flights or aid workers into the country. The result: thousands more people died than needed to.

But when China experienced a devastating earthquake recently, it opened its doors to reporters and international aid. The result: an outpouring of sympathy and assistance that will surely result in lives saved.

China is no democracy, but its society is generally becoming more open and humane. Burma is ruled by a brutal military junta that consults with astrologers and murders monks.

Case closed.