Myanmar junta leader agrees to meet with U.N. chief

Wednesday 21st May, 05:23 AM JST

YANGON —

Myanmar’s junta leader Sr Gen Than Shwe will meet with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to discuss the post-cyclone relief effort when Ban visits the country from Thursday, a senior U.N. official said Tuesday.

John Holmes, undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, told a press conference after a two-hour meeting with Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein that Ban will “no doubt be having discussions” with the country’s head of state in the administrative capital Naypyitaw.

Meanwhile, Myanmar began three days of mourning Tuesday for 133,000 people dead or missing after its cyclone, but barely anyone seemed to notice and most of the two million survivors were still desperate for help.

In one of the first official displays of grief since the cyclone pummeled the impoverished country 18 days ago, national flags in front of Yangon’s City Hall fluttered at half mast under overcast skies.

But there was no public ceremony nor moment of silence, and most people in Yangon appeared unaware of the mourning period.

“We didn’t know about this news. How are we meant to show our grief for storm victims?” said Mya Mya, a 43-year-old flower seller who is sheltering in a school after the storm destroyed her home.

Like most cyclone survivors still waiting for food , shelter and medicine, Mya Mya said she had yet to receive any emergency relief from the military government.

Global pressure is mounting on the regime to do more for the storm victims.

The U.N. chief, set to arrive early Thursday, said that “so far we have been able to reach only about 25% of Myanmar’s people in need.”

Ban, who had earlier failed to get Shwe even to take his telephone calls, plans to visit the worst-hit Irrawaddy delta region and to attend weekend fund-raising talks in Yangon.

“I will do my utmost for the people of Myanmar,” he vowed.

There have been some advances, with the government agreeing at regional talks Monday in Singapore to allow neighboring countries to coordinate an international relief effort.

“We are seeing a little bit of progress, we see small steps being made,” said Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman for OCHA, the U.N.‘s disaster response arm in Geneva.

Holmes said he held “useful” meetings Tuesday with Myanmar’s Prime Minister Thein Sein and three government ministers, one day after he toured parts of the Irrawaddy Delta where entire villages were washed away by the May 2-3 storm.

But doubts emerged over how effective any relief effort would be, since the junta has refused to allow in foreign aid workers in anything like the numbers needed, despite warnings that people could die without help.

Human Rights Watch warned that the aid effort led by ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) fell well short of the operation needed to address victims’ urgent needs.

The Asian Development Bank said it might send experts to assess reconstruction needs, but the World Bank said it could not provide the regime with any funds because the junta has not been repaying existing loans.

The U.N., which estimates that only 500,000 of the 2.4 million affected by the storm are receiving aid, is making a top-level diplomatic effort to press the regime to open up the country.

“I hope the senior general will see Secretary General Ban Ki-moon when he comes,” Holmes said, adding that he handed over a letter from Ban intended for Than Shwe saying the two sides needed to find a way “to work together better.”

Analysts believe the ASEAN deal, which will also see teams of Asian medics from nine countries travel to Myanmar, was a face-saving way for the junta to allow in relief without being seen to cave in to Western pressure.

A Western diplomat in Yangon said the regime was taking its cue from close ally China, which is also dealing with disaster after an earthquake killed more than 40,000 people in the southwest.

“The fact that the junta has declared three days of mourning now, whereas the cyclone took place more than two weeks ago, is very significant,” the diplomat said.

Wire reports

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Latest 15 of 19 Total Comments Show All

Nyein_Chan at 10:27 AM JST - 21st May

An impromptu tour of point and go, would increase their confidence in what they see and decrease their tendencies to wonder about what they have NOT seen. This simple solution would also attest that the Burmese government has nothing to hide. This simple solution would also minimize the space for making the speculative, exaggerated, unfounded allegations. It would also be equivalent of a thousand guided tours, a million media releases and a billion guarantees that the Burmese government is doing all they can to help the cyclone victims and that we now NEED the international help for reconstruction and rehabilitation while maintaining the ongoing operations for food and health care. Of course, an impromptu tour, point and go, should be accorded to UN Chief.
TettoeAung at 11:21 AM JST - 21st May

Why is that a senior official from the United Nations had to say,“I hope the senior general will see Secretary General Ban Ki-moon when he comes,”? Is is an indication or an expectation that the United Nations, as an international organisation, has neither power nor courage to confront recalcitrant regimes? If one looks back how the UN has its 'international personality' a state leader has no right to treat another leader the way Than Shwe treated Ban Ki-moon, and get away with it. Why did the international community has to tolerate such behaviour? It is quite insane to be pussy-footing around the issue with the excuse that things should be done in such a way as 'face saving' measures for the regime. They neither have shame nor fear of stealing relief provisions donated by donors from foreign countries and even when caught they don't give a toss about it. Let alone them, can anyone of us should be proud to call ourselves Burmese? I don't think so.
Nyein_Chan at 11:48 AM JST - 21st May

There are reports that some volunteer aid workers and private donors have been prevented to go into the cyclone-hit areas. YES, it is neither efficient nor effective to drop aid from the moving vehicles. It might even be dangerous and wasteful. At the same time, it is not feasible and recommendable to totally block the private donors and small groups acting on their own to help the cyclone victims. YES, the individual donors and non-governmental organizations could go and donate what they want to who they think need their help. That is, the donations and relief materials are NOT required to go through (take the order and accept the supervision of) the government agencies or government-led committees. (They must accept the monitoring though.) In stead of attempting to circumvent some local authorities who have been attempting to havoc aid donations, the individual donors, groups and the non-government organizations should be aware that the cyclone victims would be better off if they can coordinate their donations and efforts with the government. Coordinating the private donations and non-governmental efforts for cyclone relief does not mean that the authorities have the final say. It simply means that the individual donors, and the non-governmental organizations should FIRST inform the coordinating center their intent, capacity and resources so that the coordinating committee, that keeps track of who has been provided help where, when and how, could direct the aid where they are needed most. The coordinating committees might even arrange one or two locals (authorities or law-enforcement officers) to accompany the relief groups so that the order is maintained. Notice that the accompanying authorities are there to monitor and help, not to supervise and direct. The Burmese military government should take a clear and pragmatic position about the cyclone relief assistance from individuals, small groups and non-governmental organizations. The Burmese military government should also let its position be known clearly and colloquially via the newspaper, radio and television.
muchogrande at 12:33 PM JST - 21st May

Nyein Chan, I think the real issue is the evil, undemocratic, military dictatorship, and I don't mean the U.S.
Jyan_Bon at 03:06 PM JST - 21st May

Junta in Myanmar is very much committed to it's dirty tricks, no matter what Nyein Chan writes on these pages......On 19.05.08, in order to hide thousands of refugees, seeking shelter in congested monasteries and schools in Bogalay, from UN's inspection, the local authorities forcibily evacuated severals hundreds of them in four small boats and took them back to where they escaped from 17 days ago( back to remote villages which were totally destroyed and isolated by water). Hundreds of them left Bogalay in tears. These BOATS SANK due to strong wind and rain around 4:00 pm that afternoon. Two of the boats sank near Kan Taryar Island, one near Byone Hmwe island and the other near Kine Taw Wa island. There were about 300+ refugees on each of these boats and many women and children drowned. Those who escaped drowning are kept in custody to stop the news from spreading . A few strong swimmers lived to tell the story to the villagers in Byone Hmwe island.
Jyan_Bon at 04:52 PM JST - 21st May

China with it's own earthquake disaster, is in need of massive international help. CHINA must have SOME EMPATHY towards Burmese cyclone victims who are in much worse position. CHINA, WE URGE YOU TO PLEASE STOP OBSTRUCTING THE UN Security Council from taking immediate humanitarian action. It has been almost 3 weeks since the cyclone hit delta but only 25% of the victims received any kind of aid so far. The vast majority (approx. 1.2 million) are still exposed to the harsh monsoon rain without food, shelter and medicinal help.
Jyan_Bon at 04:56 PM JST - 21st May

The consequences of NOT providing immediate help to 1.75 million victims must be the responsibility of Myanmar Junta, shared by Chinese & Russian authorities.
apecNetworks at 06:46 PM JST - 21st May

As stated before in a previous post, the situation is politicized. ASEAN should be spearheading any aid coordination in Myanmar/Burma, w/ backing from the UN. The leaders in Myanmar/Burma can be criticized of their handling of the disaster after the problem has been resolved, but ASEAN is the one who should get the call to lead by cooperating w/ the Myanmar/Burma Govt. Obviously, no father or mother is going to allow a hostile group enter their home even if a medical/nutritional problem in the family exists.
some14some at 07:15 PM JST - 21st May

I agree with apecNetworks also pleased to know WFP helicopters are allowed to distribute aid supplies in Delta region. Let neighbors help Myanmar cope with crises and hope western media cyclone will subside shortly.
Jyan_Bon at 12:24 AM JST - 22nd May

What kind of so-called, country's leader refuses to take phone calls, ignored letters from the "United Nation's General Secretary", offering help and assistance ? I wonder. A doctor in aid group headed by Abbot of Sitagu, who came back from Ka-don-Ka-Ni area, told us what he saw. Half the villagers would have lived had the rescue team reached there within 3 days from the day of disaster . Many of them were stark naked in the rain when they got there and have only coconut to eat for days without food or shelter. Many of them died of pneumonia.
Nyein_Chan at 12:27 AM JST - 22nd May

The Burmese government would better help its people by inviting and allowing the disaster assessment teams from ASEAN, World Bank Asian Development Bank, U.S team waiting in Thailand, etc. as soon as possible so that the assessment can be made before the Donor Conference on 25th May. It isn’t better to have the assessment team before the pledging conference? Otherwise, the pledged amounts would be smaller than necessary for Burmese cyclone victims. The Secretary-General of ASEAN emphasized this point. Given the time and efforts demanded for organizing an assessment team, it is better to invite the teams now ready to visit the cyclone-hit areas like U.S team, World Bank team and, to a lesser extent, ASEAN team.

Myanmar's military government wants more than $11 billion in aid for cyclone victims, but international donors need access to verify their needs, a top Southeast Asian diplomat said on Wednesday. "The concern is for the international community to pledge assistance 'How do we know it's $11 billion? How can we be certain?'," said the former Thai foreign minister. "Accessibility is important to guarantee confidence and verify the damage and needs, otherwise confidence during pledging will be affected," he said. Surin said a rapid assessment team of ASEAN members needed to be on the ground and continue to report to come up with a "credible needs analysis" trusted by the donors before pledging. (Grant McCool, Edited by Darren Schuettler and Valerie Lee, Cyclone-hit Myanmar seeks $11 bln in aid – ASEAN, Reuters, May 21, 2008 10:36am EDT)
Nyein_Chan at 12:34 AM JST - 22nd May

It might be a good idea to ask TOTAL and Chevron, as suggested by ASEAN Secretary-General, to help transfer aid from French and U.S. Navy ships to the cyclone-hit regions. TOTAL certainly has more than one helicopter in Burma. At least, the oil-companies can bring the helicopters from the region to help Burmese cyclone victims. Would the French Foreign Minister Kreacher allow TOTAL company to help Burmese cyclone victims?

ASEAN chief Surin Pitsuwan also said a Myanmar cabinet minister told him that French oil giant Total … was willing to transfer aid and equipment from French and U.S. Navy ships waiting in waters near the former Burma. Minister of Planning and Economic Development Soe Tha "told us Total is going to do the transfer" of aid from the ships, Surin said in an interview with Reuters. … Total could not immediately be reached for comment. (Grant McCool, Edited by Darren Schuettler and Valerie Lee, Cyclone-hit Myanmar seeks $11 bln in aid – ASEAN, Reuters, May 21, 2008 10:36am EDT)
Jyan_Bon at 12:50 AM JST - 22nd May

When the time is due for the UNSC to inspect the disaster zone in person, the junta MUST STOP forcing out the villagers sheltering in Bogalay, Laputta,Kun-gyan-kone refuge centres. Hundreds of these villagers were given 20,000 kyats($20) and 6 kilo of rice per family and forced to go back to their remote, deserted villages, where transportation / help is impossible.(One of the reasons why the international aid workers are not welcomed in the zone.) "The news team accompanying the UNSC will not be able to interview the real victims,I'm afraid,because local authorities have substitute them with imposters, whom they have hired for 1500 kyats per day.", said the private donor who came back from Laputta.
Jyan_Bon at 12:54 AM JST - 22nd May

Correction ; Should be "UNSG" instead of "UNSC".
Jyan_Bon at 01:50 AM JST - 22nd May

TONS ON AIDS RECEIVED WITHOUT ASSURANCE OF DELIVERY TO THE VICTIMS IS FRAUD.