Bangkok--23 May--UNISBKK A UN official present at the meeting between the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, and the Myanmar Prime Minister, General Thein Sein, said that Mr. Ban stated that the disaster was beyond the capacity of Myanmar itself and international aid was required. He also expressed frustration over "the inability of the aid workers to bring assistance at the right time to the affected areas.” The Prime Minister, however, had said that he believed the relief phase was over and it was now time to begin reconstruction. Following are quotes by the Secretary-General, made earlier today to the trustees of Shwedagon pagoda: "The United Nations and the whole international community stand ready to help you overcome this tragedy." "That is why I am here. The main purpose of my coming to Myanmar is to demonstrate my solidarity." "I'm quite confident we will be able to overcome this tragedy. I've tried to bring a message of hope to your people." "At the same time, I hope your people and government can coordinate the flow of aid so the aid work can be done in a more systematic and organised way." For more information, please contact: UN Information Services Tel.: +66-2-288-1861-9; Fax: +66-2-288-1052 Email: [email protected]