First U.S. aid flight arrives in Myanmar

YANGON, Myanmar (CNN) -- A U.S. Air Force plane brought cyclone relief supplies to Myanmar on Monday and two more are on the way, U.S. military officials said.

The first airlift, a C-130 Hercules loaded with 28,000 pounds of supplies, including water, mosquito netting and blankets, landed in Myanmar about 2 p.m.

The next two planes are scheduled to leave Tuesday with more humanitarian aid supplies.

The shipment landed Monday as U.S. officials met with Myanmar government representatives to discuss plans for further aid.

A source described the talks as "cordial" and "preliminary."

Officials hope the missions will forge a relationship that will allow the United States to send in disaster experts.

"As of right now, visas for them have not been approved," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. "So we'll keep on working on this. We hope this is the beginning of a long line of assistance from the United States to the people of Burma."

Four ships that are in the region for an annual military exercise can also help in the relief mission if the Myanmar government gives the go-ahead.

The Myanmar regime is wary of Western nations, including the United States -- which does not recognize the military junta.

The United States has been a vocal critic of the junta, which maintained control of the country even after 1990, when an opposition political party won victory in democratic elections.

But the government conceded to the flights after long negotiations following the deadly cyclone a week ago. The United Nations estimates the death toll from Cyclone Nargis ranges from 63,000 to 100,000, well above the Myanmar government's estimate of about 28,000. Tens of thousands of people are missing.

"Clearly the junta has determined that the magnitude of this disaster requires additional assistance," Johndroe said.

The U.S. relief plane took off from an air base in Utapao, Thailand.

"One flight is much better than no flights," Johndroe said. "And we're going to keep on working to provide as much assistance as possible in the coming days, weeks and months, because they're going to need our help for a long time."

The military junta has said it will accept international aid but insisted it would distribute the supplies itself.

Debbie Stothard, head of the Southeast Asian human rights group ALTSEAN-Burma, said her organization has received reports of aid packages being distributed with the names of military leaders on the labels.

The country's name was changed from Burma to Myanmar in 1989, but many who do not recognize the current government still use its former name.

"There's people who are very concerned now that the reason the aid workers are being blocked is so that the military can deliver aid selectively and so that they can appropriate the aid and pretend it was from them in the first place," Stothard said.

A French naval ship is also on its way toward Myanmar, transporting 1,500 tons of medical equipment, food and water.

Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister, said French aid will go directly to the victims.

"We won't give aid to Burma's junta, even if they would accept it. We will use our own channels in the country."

On Sunday, Australia pledged $25 million in aid to Myanmar.

Meanwhile, a double-decker boat packed with enough relief supplies for 1,000 people hit a submerged tree in the cyclone-stricken region and sank Sunday morning, leaving nearly all of its cargo at the bottom of the muddy river, a Red Cross official said.

More than a week after the cyclone hit the south Asian country, getting relief there has been a daunting task for international aid agencies.

The Britain-based international aid agency Oxfam warns that without the proper relief -- particularly clean water -- nearly 1.5 million people could be affected by a wider humanitarian crisis.

In Bogalay township, people pumped water out of ponds filled with dead bodies, according to a situation report from the United Nations' Children's Fund.

A refugee camp in Pyanpon township was operating with five latrines for 3,500 people, UNICEF said.

The shore along the Irrawaddy River Delta remains lined for miles with bloated corpses. In the village of Da Mya Kyaung, only four of the 200 homes were partially intact.

"When I saw the water coming, I just put my two nephews on my shoulders and ran," villager U Wen Say said.

His son and his son's family drowned. Of the 500 people who lived in the village, two-thirds were missing.

Source : CNN.