Suburban Guerrilla

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May 23rd, 2008 at 6:21 am by Susie

NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar, May 23 (Reuters) - Myanmar’s military government agreed on Friday to allow aid workers into the country “regardless of nationalities”, a breakthrough for delivering assistance to cyclone survivors, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said.

The U.N. Secretary-General, on a mission to help 2.4 million people left destitute by the storm that struck three weeks ago, reached the agreement with junta supremo Than Shwe in a meeting lasting more than two hours in the remote capital of Naypyidaw.

Asked by a reporter whether this was a breakthrough, Ban replied: “Yes, I think so, he has agreed to allow all aid workers regardless of nationalities.”

Ban said Than Shwe had also agreed to allow the airport in the former capital, Yangon, to be used as a logistical hub for distribution of aid, which is still only trickling in due to the junta’s restrictions on foreign relief operations.

“He has taken quite a flexible position on this matter,” Ban told reporters who travelled with him, a rare concession from the reclusive junta, which is under tougher Western sanctions for cracking down on pro-democracy protests last year.

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