U.N. chief Ban warns Myanmar inaction may be deadly

By Nahed Eltantawy

ATLANTA (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Myanmar's military government on Friday to allow aid and relief workers into the cyclone-hit country "without hindrance," saying the survival of its people was at stake.

Ban spokeswoman Marie Okabe told reporters at U.N. headquarters that the secretary-general, who is in Atlanta on a visit, had "warned that inaction could be deadly."

"We should not lose any further time," Ban told reporters in Atlanta. "Many people have already died and if we do not take proper action at this time on an urgent basis there may be many more people who will die."

Ban has been trying to contact Myanmar's senior general, Than Shwe, to persuade him to remove restrictions on aid workers. But his attempts to be in touch with the reclusive junta have been unsuccessful.

"I have been trying to speak directly to the leadership of Myanmar," he said. "Regrettably I have not been able to contact them. I am still trying to talk with them as well as with leaders in neighboring countries."

There has been growing international frustration with Myanmar's delays in allowing aid in nearly a week after Cyclone Nargis slammed the southeast Asian country, killing thousands and severely affecting some 1.5 million people.

Ban said Myanmar's government had nothing to fear from U.N. humanitarian officials.

"I will ensure that the ... United Nations aid workers will not engage in any political debate," he said. "We are now talking about saving lives."