Burmese Officials Are ‘Stubborn,’ Says US Admiral

By LALIT K. JHA / New York

Burmese military officers were “stubborn and very resistant” to offers of US aid to help survivors in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, a top US Navy officer said on Wednesday.

Admiral Timothy Keating, who heads the US Pacific Joint Command, said Burmese military officers with whom he interacted in the aftermath of the cyclone were "friendly, amiable, stubborn and very resistant."

In the cyclone’s wake, the US Pentagon dispatched ships in the US fleet to Burmese waters to lead the US relief and rescue operation in Burma.

The US Essex and other US ships were denied permission to enter Burma’s territorial waters, which eventually led to the US relief effort being conducted from airbases in Thailand. French and UK ships were also not allowed into Burmese waters.

"At the end of the day, we were disappointed with the junta's refusal to let us contribute in a much more comprehensive fashion," Keating said during an interview with foreign correspondents in New York.

"I am convinced that we could have saved many lives and hastened the return to normal life of those affected," he said.

Keating said the main stumbling block was that the junta didn’t believe the US was only interested in humanitarian relief operations.

"We had no military intentions,” Keating said. “We just wanted to provide relief to the people who needed it.”

When Keating was allowed to fly into Rangoon on May 12, Burmese officials told him that everything was fine and that farmers were getting ready to plant their next crops.

"We told them that was rubbish," Keating said. The US had detailed satellite images which showed the exact devastation of towns and villages, down to individual houses and businesses. Large parts of the region were completely destroyed, leaving survivors to cope on their own.

Recollecting his first meeting, Keating said: "They were cordial and friendly. We sat around the table. The Burmese officials expressed confidence that their government would be able to provide the support which its people needed. Things were not all that bad, they said. In fact, the summer monsoon was a blessing …. and the people were returning to their villages and were already planning for the summer crops."

After a month of waiting to be allowed to deliver aid into the country, Keating ordered US ships to leave their positions near Burmese waters. The junta eventually allowed US Air Force C-130s to deliver supplies to the international airfield at Rangoon.

Meanwhile, the latest news from the devastated area is that a water crisis threatens the livelihoods and health of thousands of cyclone survivors in the delta, according to international aid agencies.

Many village wells and ponds throughout the densely populated rice-growing region remain contaminated by sea water. Rainwater, collected in jars, plastic sheets or tarpaulins, is now the only source of fresh drinking water for many people.

As the dry season nears, aid agencies are warning of a renewed threat of diseases such as typhoid and diarrhea from dirty drinking water.