Observers say Myanmar has history of xenophobia

From the junta's perspective: "Aid workers could be carrying weapons to give to the people, they could give them ideas of how to overthrow the government."

Aid agencies say efforts to rush relief supplies to large-scale disasters are often slowed by red tape, but Myanmar's foot dragging has a deeper, historical context.

The junta has long mistrusted the West because of more than a century of British colonial rule that ended in 1948. A parliamentary democracy survived until the ruthless dictator Gen. Ne Win seized power in a 1962 coup. During his 26-year rule, Ne Win's regime curtailed human rights and political opposition and closed the country off to outsiders, earning Burma, as it was then known, the nickname the "Hermit Kingdom."

Tourists were, for the most part, not allowed in for years until the 1970s when visitors were given strict, seven-day visas.

These days, tourists get one-month visas but journalists are welcome only during carefully scripted occasions, such as the annual celebration of Armed Forces Day to commemorate the military's might.

Over the years, ruling juntas have imposed a variety of laws designed to keep Burmese culture strong and block the influence of the outside world: It is illegal for locals to hold foreign currency and to host foreigners in their homes overnight. Foreign diplomats are required to seek government permission to travel outside Yangon, the commercial capital.

One of the junta's main foes is the United States, which has imposed economic sanctions against the generals and is a strident critic of Myanmar's human rights record. Washington is a regular target of contempt in Myanmar's state-controlled media.

The U.S. invasions of Iraq in 1991 and in 2003 reportedly spread panic among the junta and high hopes among the people.

Some analysts believe the junta's abrupt decision in 2005 to relocate the country's capital from Yangon to the remote city of Naypyitaw, which it carved out of dense jungle, was driven by fears of a U.S. invasion.

President Bush said Tuesday his message to military rulers was: "Let the United States come help you."