Myanmar shunned a U.S. proposal for naval ships to deliver aid to cyclone victims on Wednesday, 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" that are "not acceptable to the people of Myanmar." It cited fears that Washington wants to overthrow the country's government and seize its oil.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is set to fly to Yangon Thursday, urged Myanmar to focus on saving lives — not politics.
"We must do our utmost for the people of Myanmar" the U.N. chief told reporters after arriving in Bangkok, Thailand ahead of his trip to Myanmar. "The issues of assistance and aid in Myanmar should not be politicized. Our focus now is on saving lives."
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