A regular New Mandala reader has drawn our attention to this shocking Los Angeles Times report from behind the army perimeter in Burma, inside the Irrawaddy Delta. As the reader states:

The article seems credible, the reporter pretty thorough, the LA Times fairly reputable. If the same content were on a rebellious blog site, it would be almost unbelievable, incomprehensible, but my opinion is that this reporter is working hard to report what is actually going on.

And another reader has referred us to this story:

I came across an article regarding a broadcast on the Australian television channel SBS about aid deliveries to the Irrawaddy Delta by members of the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army – Peace Council (KNU/KNLA-PC) in cooperation with the Chiang Mai-based Asian Tribal Ministries. Some of the video is available online and includes footage of Major-General Htain Maung, his wife and Pastor Timothy Laklem of the KNU/KNLA-PC. A spokesperson for the group states that they got special permission from the SPDC to film the whole thing. Also, the group is filmed giving out USaid relief packages. One of the reports is available here.