Myanmar Shuns Aid From US Warships

Myanmar Shuns Aid From US Warships
May 21, 2008
Associated Press

YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar shunned a U.S. proposal for naval ships to deliver aid to cyclone victims on May 21, according to state-run media, dimming hopes that the vessels could provide a major boost to relief efforts.

The New Light of Myanmar, a mouthpiece for Myanmar's ruling junta, said that such assistance "comes with strings attached," citing fears that Washington wants to overthrow the country's government and seize its oil.

It's not the first time since the country was ravaged by a cyclone and flooding that the typically suspicious government has expressed reservations about American intentions.

The pilot of the first Air Force cargo plane to bring relief supplies into Myanmar previously told Military.com that a senior Navy official had to assure the Myanmar government that the U.S. was there only to help out and not invade the country. Other U.S. military airlift followed the May 12 flight, said Capt. Trevor Hall, a pilot with the Yokota, Japan-based 36th Airlift Squadron.

The United States, as well as France and Great Britain, have naval vessels loaded with humanitarian supplies off the Myanmar coast, and had been waiting for a green light to deliver them. The article did not say whether the French and British supplies would be allowed.


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