YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Myanmar to focus on saving lives, not on politics, after the military government on Wednesday shunned a U.S. proposal for naval ships to deliver aid to cyclone survivors. The U.N. says up to 2.5 million survivors of Cyclone Nargis face hunger, homelessness and potential outbreaks of deadly diseases. "We must do our utmost for the people of Myanmar" Ban told reporters after arriving in Bangkok, Thailand. "The issues of assistance and aid in Myanmar should not be politicized. Our focus now is on saving lives." Ban was to fly Thursday to Myanmar on a mission to scale up relief efforts and lobby the junta to allow more foreign aid workers into the isolated country. He told reporters his two-day visit would include a trip to areas devastated by the cyclone and talks with officials, including junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe. Before leaving U.N. headquarters, Ban said the world body had finally received permission from the junta to use helicopters to carry aid to stranded victims.
Ø JJ Commentary: It has been outrageously unconscionable for the Burmese rulers to choose political control over humanitarian aid, but that’s what totalitarian governments do.
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