Myanmar Begins Mourning Period for Cyclone Victims

By Diane Smith
12:10, May 20th 2008
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Myanmar Begins Mourning Period for Cyclone Victims

Myanmar will observe three days of mourning beginning today (Tuesday) for the victims of Cyclone Nargis which hit the Asian country two weeks ago and left 130,000 people dead or missing. The mourning period comes just a day after the military junta ruling over Myanmar agreed to its Southeast Asian neighbors help to coordinate foreign relief assistance.

However, the supply as well as the entry of relief workers outside the ASEAN bloc will continue to be very low according to Singapore’s Foreign Minister George Yeo, who made the statement after attending the emergency meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Singapore. Myanmar is one of the ASEAN members.

“We will establish a mechanism so that aid from all over the world can flow into Myanmar,” Mr. Yeo said after the Singapore meeting which sent a message that the military junta may have changed its position on the foreign aid issue.

“Myanmar is also prepared to accept the expertise of international and regional agencies to help in its rehabilitation efforts,” Yeo said on Monday. He added that the aid addressing the specific needs of the cyclone victims will have priority.

“We have to look at specific needs — there will not be uncontrolled access.”

Myanmar has allowed foreign aid to pass its borders but to a small extent. Although several nations, including the US, managed to send aid supplies, this amounts to only 20 percent of the needed supplies.

Myanmar’s rulers were criticized by numerous political leaders, especially those of the western powers such as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the French U.N. Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The World Bank announced today that it won’t grant Myanmar financial help to get out of the crisis caused by the cyclone that left 130,000 people dead or missing and two million homeless. World Bank Managing Director Juan Jose Daboub said that Myanmar’s ruling junta had been in arrears on previous loans, according to The Associated Press.



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