Myanmar reopens schools in effort to return to normalcy

Yangon: Myanmar's military government reopened schools Monday in several areas still reeling from a catastrophic cyclone, a move international aid groups said was premature because classrooms have not yet been sufficiently rebuilt.

In its struggle to return to normalcy, the junta reopened many schools Monday in areas hit by the cyclone, though some were scheduled to reopen in July.

Unicef said more than 4,000 schools serving 1.1 million children were damaged or totally destroyed by the storm and more than 100 teachers were killed.

The government planned to train volunteer teachers and hold some classes in camps and other temporary sites, the UN Children's Fund said.

But, aid groups said the move may not be advisable considering the states the schools are in.

Anupama Rao Singh, Unicef's regional director, said reopening schools in the delta Monday "may be too ambitious," since construction materials were still on the way and there was not enough time to rebuild schools and train new teachers.

Foreign aid workers also criticised the regime for still dragging its feet on allowing them speedy and full access to survivors of the disaster promised to them at a UN meeting last week.

However, Myanmar Deputy Defense Minister Major General Aye Myint defended the junta's actions.

He told an international security conference in Singapore that the junta broadcast warnings about the cyclone more than a week in advance, and moved quickly to rescue and provide relief to the estimated 2.4 million survivors.

"Due to the prompt work" of the military government, food, water and medicine were provided to all victims, the defense minister said. "I believe the resettlement and rehabilitation process will be speedy."