This one belongs in the humor column ... Soe Tha asks us to believe that the two weeks notice time before field trips are spent by civil servants feverishly preparing safety arrangements in the field.

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Myanmar: guidelines for UN imposed for their own safety
December 17, Agence France Presse

Naypyidaw: Military-ruled Myanmar said Sunday that regulations on how
United Nations agencies and development organisations operate were imposed
to ensure no "unpleasant incidents" happen to them.

Several UN agencies and non-governmental organisations have complained
that their movements within the secretive state have been restricted, thus
hampering their ability to carry out their work independently.

Soe Tha, minister for National Planning and Economic Development, told
reporters Sunday that contrary to their complaints, the regulations were
in fact there to make life easier for them.

"Even we, ourselves, have to take security precautions for travelling, let
alone the foreigners, since there still remain a few insurgents in some
parts of the country," he said.

"We do not wish any unpleasant incidents to happen to them even if they
take their own risks to travel."

Myanmar's junta has signed peace deals with 17 armed ethnic groups, but a
handful of rebel groups continue to fight against the military government.

Soe Tha said UN agencies were required to inform the government two weeks
ahead of a trip to a project site, and chastised UN officials who did not
stick to their proposed itineraries.

"These people do not try to understand our situation; they thought we were
hindering them from what they wanted to do," he said. "In fact, it is not
(the case)."

He said that Myanmar was cooperating with the United Nations and other
development agencies on more that 120 projects, but warned that "we cannot
accept those who use UN to do activities that will infringe our
sovereignty".

The junta in February issued seven pages of guidelines, including rules on
employment and a requirement that government officials must accompany
staff when they travel in Myanmar.

Even before then, agencies had complained of limitations of their activities.

In August last year, the UN-created Global Fund against AIDS, Malaria and
Tuberculosis -- diseases that are prevalent in Myanmar -- announced it was
pulling out, citing the junta's restrictions.

Myanmar's generals have long accused some foreigners of seeking to
overthrow the government, labelling them "destructive elements" who
encourage dissident opposition groups.