Send DART to China, Canadian group says

If Burma's reclusive military regime doesn't want Canada's Disaster Assistance Response Team, China likely does, a Chinese-Canadian group says.

The Chinese Canadian National Council is urging Ottawa to offer the rapidly deployable military team to help China in the wake of a massive earthquake that struck Monday, toppling buildings, killing thousands and trapping more under rubble. But a foreign affairs spokesman said so far, China has not requested any type of assistance from Canada.

"I'm not asking Canada to ditch Burma," said Victor Wong, the council's executive director. "However, the government of Burma so far has refused aid from the outside world.

"There are humanitarian disasters all around the world. If one country's not willing to accept you, well, you may be needed somewhere else."

A 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck at about 2:30 p.m. local time in southwestern China and was felt as far away as Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam. State news agency Xinhua put the death toll at more than 8,500.

Wong says DART has the expertise and equipment to save lives in China, with its team of 200 soldiers able to quickly fly into a disaster-stricken area to provide drinking water and medical treatment for up to 40 days.

"The first 24 to 48 hours are very critical in a situation like this and … I think that Canada needs to send the DART team in right away," said Wong.

A reconnaissance team, which headed out first to assess needs in Burma, landed in neighbouring Thailand several days ago, but it's unclear whether they've crossed the border.

DART, meanwhile, is on standby awaiting word on whether they'll be allowed in. Human rights groups have expressed skepticism about whether the isolationist junta will permit the military team to enter the cyclone-devastated country, where the official death toll rose to nearly 32,000 on Monday.

If Canada's disaster response team is allowed to enter Burma, also known as Myanmar, the council suggests sending other medical teams to China.

The United Nations and other international aid groups have called for the reclusive junta to relax restrictions on foreign aid workers coming into the country and allow more relief flights to land to help some 1.5 million victims.

Only a handful of flights carrying emergency supplies have been allowed in, with the first  U.S. military flight arriving Monday after more than a week of negotiations between Washington and the Burmese regime.