Myanmar Mourns Cyclone Victims, Death Toll Rises to 77,738

Myanmar designates three days of mourning for cyclone victims

www.chinaview.cn 2008-05-19 20:34:45

YANGON, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar designated on Monday three days of mourning for cyclone disaster starting from Tuesday to Thursday, according to an announcement of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) aired by the state radio in the evening.

The announcement, signed by First Secretary of the SPDC Lieutenant-General Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo, sets the mourning activities to start on Tuesday at 9 a.m. (local time) with the state flag to fly half-mast.

A deadly tropical cyclone Nargis, which occurred over the Bay of Bengal, hit five divisions and states -- Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago, Mon and Kayin on May 2 and 3, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangoninflicted the heaviest casualties and massive infrastructural damage including religious buildings, schools, hospitals, vessels, animals, crops cultivation, forest and ration.

According to an updated official death toll, as many as 77,738 people have been killed with 55,917 still missing totaling 133,655in the disaster. The number of the injured went to 19,359.

Myanmar agrees to accept ASEAN-led cyclone relief efforts

www.chinaview.cn 2008-05-19 18:22:37

SINGAPORE, May 19 (Xinhua) --

Myanmar agreed at a special meeting here Monday to let the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) coordinate foreign assistance for Cyclone Nargis victims, Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo announced.

"The foreign ministers have agreed to establish an ASEAN-led coordinating mechanism" to facilitate the distribution and utilization of assistance from the international community, Yeo told reporters after conclusion of the special meeting attended by foreign ministers from 10 ASEAN member countries, including Myanmar's U Nyan Win.

Yeo added that Myanmar also agreed to accept medical teams and relief workers from all ASEAN countries.

The Myanmar government has accepted relief goods from foreign countries but refused to allow foreign relief workers to distribute them after the deadly tropical cyclone Nargis hit five divisions and states of Myanmar early this month and left more than 77,000 dead, 55,000 still missing and 19,000 injured.

"International assistance to Myanmar, given through ASEAN, should not be politicized. On that basis, Myanmar will accept international assistance," Yeo said.

A Task Force, to be headed by chief of the regional bloc Surin Pitsuwan, will be established to work with the United Nations while a central coordinating body will also be set up by Myanmar.

The Singapore foreign minister said that the meeting agreed that "this ASEAN-led approach was the best way forward."

ASEAN will work with the UN to hold an ASEAN-UN International Pledging Conference in Myanmar's Yangon city on May 25, Yeo said.

UN chief to visit cyclone-hit Myanmar to accelerate relief efforts

www.chinaview.cn 2008-05-19 10:49:17

UNITED NATIONS, May 18 (Xinhua) --

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will travel to Myanmar this week to accelerate relief efforts in the wake of the devastation wreaked by Cyclone Nargis, which hit the country on May 2.

Ban's spokesperson Michele Montas announced Sunday that the UN chief will leave New York Tuesday and is scheduled to arrive in Myanmar Wednesday for a three-day visit.

He will tour the areas most affected by the cyclone, especially the Irrawaddy delta in the south of the country, and travel to Yangon, the most populous city.

Ban will also hold meetings with senior government officials, she said, emphasizing that the United Nations remained willing to work with the authorities to speed up the distribution of relief aid.

"The whole purpose of the trip is to accelerate the pace of disaster relief. He hopes his presence can really make things go faster," said Montas.

Editor: Wang Hongjiang

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