Friday May 9

UN blasts Myanmar for visa policy on aid workers

The Associated Press

The United Nations blasted Myanmar's military government Friday, saying its refusal to let in foreign aid workers to help victims of a devastating cyclone was 'unprecedented' in the history of humanitarian work.

While the junta dithered and appeared overwhelmed by last Saturday's disaster, more than 1 million homeless people waited for food, shelter and medicine. Many crammed into Buddhist monasteries or just camped out in the open.

Entire villages were submerged in the worst-hit Irrawaddy delta, with bodies floating in salty water and children ripped from their parents' arms. At least 62,000 people are dead or missing, state media reported, and aid groups warned that thousands of children may have been orphaned and the area is on the verge of a medical disaster.

On Friday, Japan said it will give aid worth $10 million through the U.N. to Myanmar, adding to the massive amounts of aid that has been pledged by foreign governments.

But while accepting international aid, the isolationist regime of this Southeast Asian nation has refused to grant visas to foreign aid workers who could assess the extent of the disaster and manage the logistics.

'The frustration caused by what appears to be a paperwork delay is unprecedented in modern humanitarian relief efforts,' said Paul Risley, a spokesman for the U.N. World Food Program in Bangkok. 'It's astonishing.'

He said the WFP submitted 10 visa applications around the world, including six in Bangkok, but none has been approved.

'We strongly urge the government of Myanmar to process these visa applications as quickly as possible, including work over the weekend,' he said.

The junta said in a statement Friday it was grateful to the international community for its assistance _ which has included 11 chartered planes loaded with aid supplies _ but the best way to help was just to send in material rather than personnel.

One relief flight was sent back after landing in Yangon on Thursday because it carried a search-and-rescue team and media representatives who had not received permission to enter the country, the junta said. It did not give details, but said the plane had flown in from Qatar, apparently referring to a U.N. flight.

The announcement came as critical aid and experts to go with it were poised in neighboring Thailand and elsewhere to rush into Myanmar, one of the world's poorest nations.

'Believe me the government will not allow outsiders to go into the devastated area. The government only cares about its own stability. They don't care about the plight of the people,' said Yangon food shop owner Joseph Kyaw, one of many residents angry at the regime for doing little to help them recover from the storm's destruction.

Among those waiting in Thailand were members of the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team. Air Force transport planes and helicopters packed with supplies also sat waiting for a green light to enter Myanmar, also known as Burma.

Myanmar allowed the first major international aid shipment Thursday _ four U.N. planes carrying high-energy biscuits, including one which was apparently turned back. On Friday, state-owned television showed a cargo plane from Italy with water containers, food and plastic sheets at Yangon international airport.

It is not clear how much of the aid is reaching the Irrawaddy delta. The U.N. estimates 1.5 million people have been 'severely affected' and voiced 'significant concern' about the disposal of dead bodies.

A Norway-based opposition news network, the Democratic Voice of Burma, provided graphic details of misery. In the village of Kongyangon, someone had written in Burmese, 'We are all in trouble. Please come help us' on black asphalt, a video from the opposition group showed. A few feet away was another plea: 'We're hungry,' the words too small to be seen by air rescuers.

According to state media, 22,997 people died and 42,019 are missing from Cyclone Nargis, which hit the country's Irrawaddy delta on Saturday. Shari Villarosa, who heads the United States Embassy in Yangon, said the number of dead could eventually exceed 100,000 because of illnesses.

Grim assessments about what lies ahead continued: The aid group Action Against Hunger noted that the delta region is known as the country's granary, and the cyclone hit before the harvest.

'If the harvest has been destroyed this will have a devastating impact on food security in Myanmar,' the group said.

Anders Ladegaard, secretary-general of the Danish Red Cross, called the relief operation 'a nightmare.'

'There are problems to the aid inside (Myanmar) and there are problems to get the aid out to the delta area. There are almost no boats and no helicopters,' Ladegaard said by satellite telephone to Danish broadcaster DR.

In Yangon itself, the