"The tsunami has highlighted the reality that Burma is a failed state that has been slow to recognise the seriousness of the situation. The military authorities have denied the severity of the effects of the tsunami and associated earthquakes. Besides being slow to act to support its own citizens, the regime has also hindered aid agencies and concerned people from providing direct assistance. The impacts on Burmese have not just been felt in the country, but also amongst thousands of migrant workers and asylum-seekers in Thailand. However, the Burmese authorities has not moved to provide support to their citizens overseas, neither has it been committed to helping account for foreigners who may have been present in coastal areas affected by the tsunami..."