Burma's military junta says the country is not ready to accept foreign aid workers, amid mounting criticism of its response to the devastating cyclone.
The foreign ministry said Burma was happy to accept overseas aid, but insisted that it would control the distribution itself.
The statement follows pressure from the United Nations to speed up the issuing of visas to foreign relief experts.
The cyclone struck Saturday.
Meanwhile the French are wondering if the UN Charter allows the UN to bypass the Junta and bring the relief directly:YANGON, Myanmar - France has suggested invoking a U.N. “responsibility to protect” clause and delivering aid directly to cyclone-hit Myanmar without waiting for approval from the military.
The proposal came as internal U.N. documents revealed Myanmar’s government is dragging its feet on giving visas to aid workers who are waiting to help the survivors of Cyclone Nargis.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told reporters on Wednesday that the United Nations recognized in 2005 the concept of “responsibility to protect” civilians when their governments could or would not do it, even if this meant intervention that violated national sovereignty.
He said the idea was under discussion at the United Nations in New York.
The 2005 concept was in response to the UN and the world's abject failure in the genocide in Rwanda.
Via Say Anything Blog
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