1 June, 2008 BBC

A Cyclone refugee camp in Burma

The Burmese government has rejected criticism that it has been slow to help victims of Cyclone Nargis, which struck the country almost a month ago.

Deputy Defence Minister, Major General Aye Mint, told a security conference in Singapore that his government had reacted promptly, as a result of which relief camps had been opened, food and drinking water provided and electricity restored. He said the relief phase was now over and the government was concentrating on reconstruction.

On Saturday, the American defence secretary Robert Gates accused Burma of causing the death of tens of thousands of cyclone victims by blocking international aid that could have saved their lives, a criticism he has just repeated, accusing Burma of criminal neglect.