from BBC NEWS | South Asia | Oxfam 'pays $1m tsunami aid duty'

Outrageous!

That's the only word for this BBC news story. Suffering survivors of the Tsunami face obstruction of international aid--from their own government! Behold:

British charity Oxfam has had to pay Sri Lanka $1m in import duty for vehicles used in tsunami reconstruction work. The Daily Telegraph said paperwork had kept the 25 four-wheel-drive vehicles idle in Colombo for a month.

The Sri Lankan government told the BBC aid had been duty free until the end of April but was now needed to prevent "market distortions".

And what choice does Oxfam have? This one:

Oxfam was given the choice of handing over the vehicles to the government, re-exporting them or paying the 300% import tax, sources told the paper.

Unbelievable. Political hack manuevers like this add to the cynicism of those willing to put their money where their concern is. Oh, how the hardness of hearts of some inflict needless suffering on so many!

Strange how this story is absent in American media. Don't you think?