Brenau's commencement speaker says time is running out for Myanmar

GAINESVILLE - Brenau University's commencement speaker said Friday night in Gainesville that time is on the side of relief providers to cyclone ravaged Myanmar (formerly Burma), but time is running out.

Brenau president Dr. Ed Schrader said Dr. Dean Hirsch is a timely choice for a commencement speaker.

Hirsch, president of the $2 billion a year World Vision International assistance organization, said the closed military dictatorship ruling the stricken country continues frustrating relief efforts, but he hopes that will change as the situation grows more desperate.

"You cannot have this magnitude of a disaster and not allow the world to come in and help," Hirsch said. "It's impossible and they will have more people dying if they don't deal with this quickly."

Hirsch said 60,000 people are dead, more than 2 million are homeless and disease is claiming many more.

Hirsch said World Vision is pushing to get visas, which the government has denied, attempting to convince the rulers that seasoned relief workers would come in to help and not get involved in politics or create security issues.