"...The reports that the government has accepted assistance from abroad are good, but it must not hesitate to open its doors in order to alleviate the needs of its people, and allow for independent monitoring of the delivery of this emergency aid. Clearly, the authorities in Burma are completely incapable of responding to a tragedy of this scale and will be heavily dependent on outside help to avert an even bigger tragedy of starvation and disease caused by a lack of safe drinking water. At this stage, local councils, which play an important role in basic administration, are likely to be non-functioning in many areas and still at a loss for what to do in others. They cannot be expected to take up the task of addressing this disaster but so too must they and other agencies not obstruct the work of outside groups coming to render assistance, or try to profit from others' nightmare. ...it is patently obvious that to hold the planned constitutional referendum at this time would be an adventure into the utmost absurdity. The affected areas are among the most populated in the country and perhaps as many as one in four of the enrolled voters will have in some way been affected by the storm. To attempt to conduct the poll under such circumstances would go far beyond the description of a farce that had already been attached to it, and into the realm of the unreal. To expend the energy of government officers on that exercise rather than the needs of the populace at this critical time would do nothing but demonstrate to the entire world the implausibility of the country's government and everything upon which it pretends to stand. The Asian Human Rights Commission thus joins with those others around the world that have rightly called for the referendum to be put off, and get on with the job of restoring some basic security and dignity to the lives of millions."