Bangkok - The European Union Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Lois Michel has left Burma empty-handed. He failed to convince Burma's military rulers to make any concessions to the international aid effort during his three-day visit.
"I urged the Burmese government to grant more visas and allow more expertise in so that there is a more efficient response to the disaster," the commissioner told journalists. "I stressed that my mission was purely humanitarian and nit in the least political," he added.
The EU envoy went with several key requests: give EU commission staff a thirty day extension to their visas; rapidly process the outstanding visa applications from UN and NGO personnel, of which there is more than 200; grant six-month multi-entry visas to NGOs and UN international aid workers, thereby increasing the number on the ground three-fold; and allow NGO and local staff access to the Irrawaddy Delta without seeking prior permission.
"This would significantly help the international aid effort," he said. "Time is of the essence," he insisted. But the regime took little heed of his appeals.
He also asked for improved air access for planes flying from aboard to land at airports closer to the areas affected by the cyclone to unload aid supplies. The Burmese authorities rejected this appeal on the grounds that Burmese traffic control was incompatible with foreign flights. The international community has recently proposed establishing an air corridor to the affected areas so that some aid flights could by-pass Rangoon airport and deliver the supplies more directly and save time.
Although none of his requests were immediately granted, he remains optimistic that there will be some movement on them in the near future. "I felt they were tempted to react positively but there was a reluctance to co-operate with the international community," he said.
The main problem was that the EU commissioner only met relatively powerless ministers and did not get chance to talk directly to any of the senior members of the junta. The ministers told the envoy candidly that they could take any decisions themselves and had to refer it up, according to a European diplomat travelling with the European delegation.
This was taken to mean only Senior General Than Shwe had the power to make these decisions. "We now know the chain of command and who's at the top," Mr Michel told Mizzima.
Mr Michel also strongly urged the regime to allow him access to the delta during his visit to see the extent of the damage for himself. This they have now arranged, for the day after the envoy had left the country. More than sixty diplomats and heads of UN agencies in Rangoon are being taken to the delta in three helicopters.
"I hope my visit has been useful," the commissioner told journalists in Bangkok on a stop between Rangoon and Brussels. But it seems to have achieved no concrete results. Now the focus is on the UN humanitarian chief John Holmes' visit on Sunday.
