Natural Disaster, National Sovereignty and State Negligence: An International Law Analysis of the Denial of Emergency Relief After Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar (Burma)

In May 2008, the then Myanmar military regime denied the people of Myanmar[1] appropriate emergency relief assistance when the international community was disallowed access to the Irrawaddy Delta immediately following Cyclone Nargis. This paper will argue that this denial of aid by the regime amounts to a negligent act and/or omission that requires further consideration within international criminal law and raises issues of significance within international law.