leader during a high-profile trip to convince the country to accept a full-scale cyclone relief operation. Ban landed in neighbouring Thailand on the eve of a visit aimed at getting the regime of Senior General Than Shwe to welcome more outside help for two million needy survivors of Cyclone Nargis. There has been an international uproar over the limits on the aid operation imposed by Myanmar since the storm, which has left at least 133,000 people dead or missing in the country's worst natural disaster ever. Ban had also failed to get Than Shwe to take his calls in the wake of the May 2-3 storm, but said he now expected to meet him during the three-day trip -- and stressed that the issue of aid for Myanmar should not be politicized. "Our focus is on saving lives," he said. "This is a critical moment for Myanmar."
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