As the Burmese starve, junta sends 50,000 tons of rice to Sri

As the world desperately seeks ways of getting aid to the victims of Cyclone
Nargis, a consignment of rice from Burma is expected to reach the Sri
Lankan port of Colombo early next week - to meet the local market needs.

R. M. K. Ratnayake, secretary to the Minister of Trade and Consumer
Affairs, said 7,000 metric tons of rice from Myanmar would arrive on May 27.

This was part of the 50,000 metric tons ordered by the Sri Lankan
government in late March. Escalation of retail rice prices due to a shortage
prompted the government to place urgent orders with Myanmar.

"There is no shortage right now but we are concerned about
August/September. If there is a problem then Myanmar rice will help us to
overcome the situation," Ratnayake told reporters.

He added the cyclone in Burma had delayed the rice shipments from
arriving.

Is it just me or is there something grotesque about rice from a country where
millions are starving being sent to a country where "There is no shortage
right now"