Myanmar can cope with tsunami: PM

Myanmar can cope with tsunami: PM

INDONESIA: Myanmar's military rulers are capable of caring for the country's victims of the tsunami and aid from overseas should be sent elsewhere, Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Soe Win said on Thursday.

The government says 59 of its citizens were killed by the Dec. 26 disaster. But international aid agencies have cast doubt on the claim, saying it could be higher than 90.

Speaking at an international donor's conference in Jakarta, Soe Win said more than 3,000 people have been left homeless.

He said his government's quick action meant the country was "able to mitigate the effects of the disaster." Helicopters carrying food, clothes and medical experts were rushed to the affected areas, he said.

Soe Win said Myanmar was grateful for aid it had received from outside countries, including China and Japan, but added he believed other nations were in greater need of outside help.

"All available funds should be channeled to them as a priority," he said. "The situation in our country is manageable and we are doing our best to alleviate the plight of our people." --AP