Burma - cyclone - military junta

Burma to host aid conference

Monday 19 May 2008

Burma wants to hold an international donors conference in Yangon to bring together aid for the victims of this month's deadly cyclone, Thailand's foreign minister said Monday. (Exclusive report by A. Beaumont)

Myanmar wants to host an aid pledging conference in Yangon to pool foreign assistance to survivors of this month's devastating cyclone, Thailand's foreign minister said here Monday.
   
Noppadon Pattama said his Myanmar counterpart, Nyan Win, was expected to inform fellow foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) of the proposal at a special meeting in Singapore later Monday.
   
He also said ASEAN was expected to send its secretary general, Surin Pitsuwan, to Myamar for a first-hand look at the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, which hit the country more than two weeks ago.
   
"We will mandate the ASEAN Secretary General to go there to assess the situation in Myanmar and we will listen to the Myanmar foreign minister regarding the pledging conference which he would like to host on the 22nd or 23rd of May in Yangon," Noppadon told AFP ahead of the meeting.
   
"Myanmar would like to host that meeting although the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon would like to host the ASEAN-UN pledging conference in Thailand. But we have to listen to Myanmar's opinion first."
   
The international community has been turning up the pressure on the military regime over its handling of the tragedy, which has left nearly 134,000 people dead or missing since tearing into the Irrawaddy Delta on May 2.
   
Noppadon said he was optimistic about Monday's meeting hosted by Singapore, which currently holds the ASEAN chairmanship.
   
"I'm an optimist. We come here with the hope that ASEAN would do something for Myanmar and it's a good opportunity for ASEAN to show solidarity," he said.
   
Asked if ASEAN would put pressure on the Myanmar junta to open up, he said: "There won't be any pressure, there would be persuasion to allow Myanmar to consider opening or giving more access to international humanitarian assistance."
   
Asked about calls to force Myanmar to accept humanitarian aid, he said: "Humanitarian assistance should be by agreement, not by force. I'm sure Myanmar will receive international assistance without using any force."