Foreign powers lean on Myanmar

YANGON (Reuters) - Western powers kept up the pressure onMyanmar's generals on Thursday to allow a massive aid effort asrelief workers struggled to help an estimated 2.5 millionpeople left destitute by Cyclone Nargis.

The European Union's top aid official has warned themilitary government's restrictions on foreign aid workers andequipment were increasing the risk of starvation and disease inthe country formerly known as Burma.

Nearly two weeks after the deadly storm tore through theheavily populated Irrawaddy delta rice bowl, leaving up to128,000 people dead, supplies of food, medicine and temporaryshelter have been sent out in dribs and drabs to devastatedcommunities.

Monasteries and schools are sheltering the homeless andrefugees are clamouring to get into these privately-run centresrather than government-run camps.

In the delta town of Bogalay, where around 10,000 peopleare thought to have perished, people complain of forced labourand low supplies of food at the state-run centres.

"They have to break stones at the construction sites. Theyare paid K1,000 (51 pence) per day but are not provided anyfood," said Ko Hla Min, who lost nine members of his family inthe storm.

Along the river bank in Bogalay, rotting corpses are stilltangled in the scrubs. Villagers continue to fish, wash andbathe in the same river.

The United Nations has said over half a million people maynow be sheltering in temporary settlements.

In Myanmar's main city, Yangon, foreign aid expertsprevented from accessing the delta play pool in the eveningsand watch, in frustration, television footage of the miserableconditions.

"People all over the world want to help Myanmar but thegovernment is blocking medical teams," said one relief worker.

The United Nations has ramped up its estimate of the numberof people in urgent need of aid to 2.5 million, and called fora high-level donors conference to deal with the crisis.

POLITICAL PRESSURE

Louis Michel, the European Union's top aid official, is inYangon for talks with the junta but his mission comes a dayafter Thailand's prime minister was told Myanmar could dealwith the problem by itself.

"We want to convince the authorities of our good faith. Weare there for humanitarian reasons," Michel earlier toldreporters.

He dismissed suggestions from some European countries thatthey should bring in aid without waiting for the authorities'permission.

But as the clock ticks and conditions in refugee sheltersdeteriorate, with monsoon rains adding to the misery andaggravating transportation problems, the political pressure onMyanmar is likely to grow.

Britain's U.N. ambassador, John Sawers, has indicated ahigh-level conference would be more than a donors' meeting,calling it a "major international meeting" in line with PrimeMinister Gordon Brown's calls for a U.N. summit on coordinatingaid efforts in Myanmar.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has also proposedappointing a joint coordinator from the U.N and the Associationof Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to oversee aid delivery, andhas said he would soon send the U.N.'s humanitarian chief JohnHolmes to Myanmar.

PATIENCE WITH GENERALS

The Secretary-General of ASEAN urged patience when dealingwith the generals.

"We are trying to work around a very, very strictresistance and mentality and mindset that have been there for along, long time," Surin Pitsuwan, a former Thai foreignminister, told an audience at the Council on Foreign Relationsin Washington.

The former Burma was once the world's biggestrice-exporting country, but more than 40 years of military rulehave left it impoverished. The military rulers have repeatedlycrushed pro-democracy movements and tightly restrict visits byforeigners, especially journalists.

A senior U.S. military official in Washington said therewere signs aid was stacking up at Yangon airport and thatWashington wanted to use helicopters to fly aid to theworst-hit areas.

Officials said despite reports some supplies were beingstolen or diverted by the army, the humanitarian needs were sogreat they would keep making deliveries, while continuing tourge that aid workers be granted visas.

In Bogalay, relief materials were being held in storagewaiting for distribution and government officials were sellingtin-sheets, to use as roofs, at K4,900 apiece, far above thebudget of most.

Po Aung, 57, who survived the tidal wive that tore throughhis village by clinging onto a tree, just wants to go home.

"Those dead are gone. But, we the remaining want to returnto our own place and to go back to our traditional profession,agriculture and fishing," said the 57-year old, one of 80survivors from a village of over 500.

"We are very sad and disappointed too. We just don't knowwhat to do."

(Writing by Carmel Crimmins; Editing by Jerry Norton)

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