MacKay was the first Canadian defense minister to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, a move he said was "a sign of elevated interaction and presence for Canada in the Asia Pacific."
Canada earlier announced that it would fly 2,000 emergency shelter kits to Bangkok for delivery to Myanmar cyclone victims.
01 June 2008: AFP
SINGAPORE--Myanmar's junta got a "good old-fashioned ear-bashing" for restricting foreign aid for cyclone victims, but remains in a state of denial, Canada's defense minister said Sunday at a high-level forum.
Peter MacKay was reacting after a Myanmar official told the conference in Singapore that foreign aid for the hundreds of thousands of victims of Cyclone Nargis must have "no strings attached."
"Well, the Burmese government's representative here is getting a good old-fashioned ear-bashing, as he should," MacKay told AFP, referring to Myanmar by its former name.
"And I think it's quite disheartening to hear the state of denial that this official appears to be in as far as his recollection of what countries... have put forward as our contributions to the relief of the people of Myanmar, Burma."
The isolated generals in Myanmar, long wary of the outside world, have been sharply criticized for slapping severe curbs on foreign aid to help victims of the May 2-3 cyclone, which left nearly 78,000 people dead.
Myanmar's Deputy defense Minister, Major General Aye Myint, earlier told his audience of defense ministers, military officials and security experts that his country "would warmly welcome any assistance and aid which are provided with genuine goodwill from any country or organization provided that there are no strings attached, or politicization involved."
MacKay said his country, and many others, have been ready to act "with no strings attached" to deliver food, water, clothing, shelter and other basics for survivors.
"And we have met with considerable reticence and reluctance to let that relief flow," the minister said.
"We have what's called a Disaster Assistance Relief Team ready to deploy and yet the government has just been unwilling to let that happen and they do so at a devastating impact to their people."
MacKay was the first Canadian defense minister to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, a move he said was "a sign of elevated interaction and presence for Canada in the Asia Pacific."
Canada earlier announced that it would fly 2,000 emergency shelter kits to Bangkok for delivery to Myanmar cyclone victims.
Go to Shangri-La Dialogue homepage
