Australia to give more aid to Myanmar, US says it's ready to donate despite rights issues

The Associated Press , Singapore Wed, 07/23/2008 5:33 PM World
Australia announced Wednesday an additional 30 million Australian dollars (US$29 million) in aid for survivors of Myanmar's May cyclone, as the U.S. said it will not hold back disaster relief despite the junta's poor democracy record.
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said he informed his Myanmar counterpart, Nyan Win, of the aid Tuesday.
They met on the sidelines of an annual security conference of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its Asian and Western dialogue partners. Among those attending is U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
She said separately that the U.S. would always provide disaster relief despite political differences, which stem from the junta's slow progress in restoring democracy, and the jailingof political opponents including Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
"We believe that ASEAN has an important role to play in addressing the root cause of Burma's grave problem, the repression of the Burmese democracy movement," Rice said, using the former name for Myanmar.
She said it is in the interests of the people of Myanmar and of ASEAN to persuade the junta to free political prisoners and begin "a genuine, time-bound dialogue ... on a credible transition to democracy."
Smith called on the junta to ensure free and fair general elections in 2010 and to allow participation by the political opposition, including Suu Kyi.
"We want to see Myanmar return to respect for human rights, respect for the rule of law and we want to see democracy return to Myanmar," Smith said he told Win.
Nyan Win gave "the usual Myanmar reaction," Smith said, referring to the junta's customary explanation that it is fulfilling a promise to reform under a long announced roadmap to democracy.
Smith's remarks were the first of many expected against Myanmar's ruling generals at the meetings, which culminate Thursday with the ASEAN Regional Forum, Asia's largest securitygathering.
Smith said the new financial assistance to Myanmar follows A$25 million (US$24.27 million) in aid Canberra provided shortly after the May 2-3 Cyclone Nargis devastated a large area of theimpoverished Southeast Asian country, killing more than 84,000 people.
He said he repeated to Nyan Win widespread criticism of Myanmar for its slow response to the disaster and its initial refusal to accept international aid and bar relief workers.
Myanmar eventually cooperated with ASEAN and U.N. humanitarian operations, but it remains unclear how long that cooperation will last.
On Tuesday the U.S. Senate passed an embargo prohibiting imports of gemstones from Myanmar, closing a gap in current sanctions, which already bar the importation of gemstonesdirectly from Myanmar. It now goes to President George W. Bush to be signed into law.
ASEAN consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.(**)