The Myanmar government has made it clear that it accepts international aid from any country but rejects foreigners to enter disaster-hit areas, according to the state-run Myanmar Television Monday.

Meeting with resident representatives of the United Nations agencies, foreign social organizations and international non- governmental organizations on Sunday in Yangon, Myanmar Minister of National Planning and Economic Development U Soe Tha said that aid from any nation is accepted and delivery of relief goods can be handled with enough strength by local organizations so do by Myanmar citizens working in international organizations in cooperation with the government departments concerned but not in individual.

He made it clear that foreigners are prohibited to enter the disaster-hit areas.

Myanmar has said the best way to help Myanmar is to send in material rather than personnel, clarifying that the country is not yet ready to receive search and rescue teams as well as media personnel.

Relief work is underway in the disaster-torn regions.

On May 2 and 3, a deadly tropical cyclone Nargis, which occurred over the Bay of Bengal, severely hit five divisions and states -- Yangon, Bago, Ayeyawaddy, Kayin and Mon, covering such coastal towns in southwestern Ayeyawaddy division as Haing Gyi Island, Pathein, Myaungmya, Laputta, Mawlamyinegyun, Kyaiklat, Phyarpon and Bogalay, and the biggest city of Yangon and sustaining the heaviest ever casualties and infrastructural damage.

According to an official updated death toll on Sunday, a total of 28,485 people have lost their lives in the cyclone storm with altogether 33,416 people remained missing.

(Xinhua News Agency May 12, 2008)