UN claims $1.5 million lost in cyclone relief effort in Myanmar; Suu Kyi discusses detention with her lawyer
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  • The United Nations estimated that it has lost about $1.56 million of relief funds - not the $10 million as earlier cited – meant for Myanmarese cyclone survivors due to foreign exchange rules imposed by the country’s military regime. UN spokesperson Farhan Haq disclosed this figure in a statement released on August 14. Haq noted that the amount represented 4.5 per cent of local expenditure, or 1 per cent of total contributions to the relief effort. He added that the earlier estimate of $10 million - cited by John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, was based on a very rough preliminary calculation1.

    Meanwhile, pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi had a rare meeting with her lawyer to discuss the continuing house arrest at her residence on August 8. According to National League for Democracy (NLD) spokesman Nyan Win, the two-hour meeting was the first between Suu Kyi and her lawyer since 20042.

    Reports noted that the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) was reportedly planning to form proxy parties to contest the proposed general election in 20103.

    In other developments, Ulla Tørnæs, Denmark's minister for development cooperation stated in a recent interview to the Danish newspaper Politiken on August 9 that the economic sanctions on Myanmar and tourism boycott of the country were counterproductive. The minister added that Myanmar would benefit from more tourists and trade with the world4.

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