Brown: blocking of cyclone aid to survivors is inhuman

PRIME Minister Gordon Brown today accused Burma's government of "inhuman" treatment of Cyclone Nargis survivors for its refusal to allow aid to get through.

He said the military junta should be held to account for its "negligence" and warned the disaster – which is estimated could eventually claim more than 100,000 lives – was in danger of becoming a "man-made catastrophe".

He said Burma's ruling generals would be judged by the world and their own people for thwarting the assistance offered by the rest of the world.

And he said forced air-drops of aid remained an option.

However, he said aid bodies were advising the most effective course of action was for nations to apply pressure on the Burmese regime to force it to accept foreign aid.

He said: "This is inhuman. We have an intolerable situation, created by a natural disaster.

"It is being made into a man-made catastrophe by the negligence, the neglect and the inhuman treatment of the Burmese people by a regime that is failing to act and to allow the international community to do what it wants to do.

"The responsibility lies with the Burmese regime and they must be held accountable."

He said the British government was working with the international community to channel foreign aid through China and the countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean).

"That's what we're trying to do as quickly as possible and with great speed," he added.

France's UN ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert, speaking at a UN General Assembly session, had earlier rejected Burmese claims that a French aid ship in international waters off Burma's coast was a warship.

The official death toll has so far reached 78,000 as aid workers shackled by the country's uncooperative regime struggled to get even the most basic data about the needs of up to 2.5 million desperate survivors.

Heavy rains lashed much of the area stricken two weeks ago, further hampering already-delayed relief efforts.

Burma state television said the official death count from the May 3 cyclone was 77,738, with another 55,917 missing.

The Red Cross warned that the lack of clean water may increase the number of deaths.

The new toll was nearly double what had been previously reported, but the television announcement suggested it might be close to a final figure. It said the government had "carried out search and rescue and relief work and collection of data, promptly, immediately and extensively".

The United Nations renewed calls for the junta to let international aid workers into devastated areas.

"More than two weeks after the event, we are at a critical point," said UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon. "Unless more aid gets into the country – quickly – we face the risk of an outbreak of infectious diseases that could dramatically worsen today's crisis."

The Red Cross fears the death toll may be as high as 128,000, while the UN estimates more than 100,000 died.

Burma is entering the monsoon season and experts warn that could complicate relief efforts.