Western governments fervently hope the Burmese junta will be more open to international aid efforts over the next few days, bringing relief to a humanitarian crisis threatening the lives of up to 1.5m people.

But what if the junta fails to change its stance? Could leading powers conduct relief operations, such as dropping food and supplies in the Irrawaddy delta, without the regime’s consent? Or would that be too risky, both in diplomatic and military terms?