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Myanmar General Than Swe Not Returning U.N. Chief’s Calls
By Rima Abdelkader
UNITED NATIONS, 12 May 2008:
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Date: 21 April 2008
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday told reporters Myanmar Senior General Than Swe has not responded to his repeated calls since last week’s Cyclone Nargis that killed 31,938 people with 34,460 now missing, according to latest government estimates he cited.
“Over the weekend and throughout much of last week, I tried repeatedly to telephone senior General Than Swe. I wanted to ask his cooperation with the international community and offer the United Nations’ full support,” Ban told reporters.
Now, in the 11th day since the cyclone, Ban decided to contact General Swe twice through the diplomatic channel of letter writing. He said he sent his second letter Monday morning.
Although there are “encouraging signs,” Ban said, the U.N. has “been unable to organize the massive logistical support that would ordinarily be well underway.”
Ban in a statement through his spokesperson last Thursday said the government of Myanmar should allow humanitarian aid and relief efforts into the country before focusing their efforts on holding the constitutional referendum process.
The government has since welcomed international aid but not international aid workers.
“I hope the Government will move quickly to expedite visas for relief personnel. Much needs to be done, immediately, to set up major logistics operations to deliver supplies to the most affected areas. This requires the specialized expertise of major international relief agencies. Myanmar cannot do it alone,” Ban said.
The U.N. chief said he is in direct talks with the Association of South East Asian Nations and with Myanmar’s neighbors on setting up a possible logistics base in Thailand “to ensure that aid will be channeled into Myanmar in a systematic and orderly way.”
U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator John Holmes following Ban’s briefing said U.N. agencies on the ground are in indirect talks with Myanmar’s deputy foreign minister.
Holmes told me his agency is working with other embassies other than the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok to speed up visa approvals since the Bangkok embassy is often closed for holidays.
Rima Abdelkader is a journalist based at the United Nations and can be reached at rima.abdelkader@gmail.com.
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