Burmese Junta Continues Killing Its Own Citizens

Through it's glacially slow pace of assistance, hundreds of thousands are at risk of death and disease because the junta is refusing to allow the kind of assistance needed to help the millions of people in the affected region of Burma.

The junta will be allowing a small group of aid workers from neighboring countries access to those areas to provide assistance, and the junta will carry out a dog and pony show for UN officials to show that they're doing everything needed for the Burmese citizens. It's a complete and utter farce, and yet the UN will go along with it.

Meanwhile, the ruling junta has announced a three-day mourning period for victims of the cyclone beginning Tuesday morning, The Associated Press reported Monday.

State television announced that the national flag would be flown at half-mast, AP said.

Ban's visit will follow the short tour by U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes.

Video broadcast on state television on Sunday showed Holmes, flanked by troops, touring a hospital and speaking with doctors and cyclone survivors.

He met with the country's rulers to try to convince them that a disaster of such magnitude cannot be handled by one nation alone, spokeswoman spokeswoman Amanda Pitt said.

The country's reclusive junta leader Than Shwe was also shown visiting a refugee camp outside Yangon, two weeks after Cyclone Nargis devastated Myanmar.

Surrounded by fellow junta members dressed in olive-green military suits, Shwe walked through streets talking with the people who lined up outside their neatly constructed tents.

The 75-year-old military ruler touched the cheeks of young survivors held by their mothers.

The junta leaders -- who traveled about 320 km (200 miles) south to Yangon from the new capital Naypyidaw -- looked on as aid workers at the camp opened plastic cases filled with relief supplies.