U.N. chief secures relief for Myanmar

YANGON, Myanmar, May 25 (UPI) -- The military junta in Myanmar will let relief workers into the country to help cyclone victims, the U.N. chief said Sunday at a donor's conference in Yangon.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Myanmar's military junta will allow "all aid workers" into the country to provide relief to the thousands of victims of the May 3 cyclone that killed at least 134,000 people, The New York Times reported.

Myanmar's government has refused entry to aid workers and relief supplies, but is seeking $11.7 billion in reconstruction funds, The Times said.

Ban's deputy representative Marie Okabe said he spent nearly an hour with the senior general in Myanmar, though human rights advocates criticized the meeting for not pressuring the ruling junta to ease political restrictions.

U.S. officials said Friday they had received no word from the ruling junta, The Times said.

More than a million people face dire shortages of food, water and medical supplies, U.N. officials say, although the junta says "the emergency phase of the operation is over."