The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Utapao

A US military plane flew to Myanmar on Monday, laden with aid for cyclone survivors in an unusual concession by the junta that despises the United States and fears an Iraq-style invasion.

The C-130 transport plane carried more than 12 tonnes of emergency supplies, including desperately needed equipment to provide clean drinking water to victims of the cyclone that hit 10 days ago, officials said.

The United States has offered a far broader relief effort in Myanmar, including navy ships and helicopters that could deploy in the hardest-hit regions of the Irrawaddy Delta, but so far the junta has declined.

"All of us are optimistic that this C-130 will be the first of many. The world has much to offer," US ambassador to Thailand Eric John told reporters shortly before the plane took off. "We offer our assistance without condition."

But convincing the military that US aid comes with no strings attached won't be easy, analysts said.

The junta regularly attacks the United States in state media, accusing Washington of aiding Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party and of training dissidents.

The regime's suspicions have been hardened by US sanctions imposed a decade ago over rights abuses and Aung San Suu Kyi's detention.

Since the Iraq war, junta leader Than Shwe has also become nervous that Washington could be planning some kind of regime change in Myanmar, analysts said.

"Burmese generals, especially General Than Shwe, are very paranoid," said Win Min, a Myanmar military analyst based in Thailand. "With a military plane, they will worry that the US military is doing spying from the sky. They will be really worried about that," he said. "By allowing them to fly, it is a significant concession."

Another report adds: Aid groups said Sunday that supplies trickling into cyclone-hit Myanmar were far less than was needed, as the faltering relief effort suffered a new blow with the sinking of a Red Cross boat.

The boat, carrying vital supplies of drinking water, rice , and purification tablets, hit a submerged tree trunk as it travelled by river through the disaster zone. Much of the aid was lost, but no one was injured.

"Apart from the delay in getting aid to people we may now have to re-evaluate how we transport that aid," said Michael Annear, disaster manager in Yangon for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Supplies have slowly begun to make their way into isolated Myanmar, but relief workers are frustrated over restrictions by the ruling junta, which has refused to allow foreign experts in to direct the recovery effort.

"Some opening-up on the part of the authorities is allowing us to get these materials to their destination," said Stephan Goetghebuer, director of operations of medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

"But it's no more than a drip-feed, really, given a serious response is more than required. We still need more back-up aid and personnel ready to leave."

A United Nations flight from Italy carrying water purification equipment and other supplies landed in Yangon, but three UN disaster assessment experts were still waiting for visas in Thailand.

In an indication of the tight controls the junta is maintaining, two of the three had their UN travel documents refused by Myanmar officials at Yangon airport when they tried to enter the country Thursday.

Other arrivals were a cargo plane chartered by the International Committee of the Red Cross, and a Greek air force plane with a cargo of tents, food and medicine.

Greece said its foreign ministry staff will stay in Yangon to make sure the the aid reaches those it is intended to help, and that a second military transporter is due to land on Tuesday.

Cyclone Nargis, which smashed into the rice-growing Irrawaddy Delta region in the country's south on May 3, left nearly 62,000 people dead or missing, according to a government toll.

The military government's refusal to open its doors has infuriated aid groups and foreign governments who say that unless they have free access, the toll from the disaster will rise dramatically as hunger and disease set in.