Bangkok  - An unacceptable amount of international aid sent to Myanmar for victims of Cyclone Nargis in the Irrawaddy delta region is not being delivered, Amnesty International said Thursday.

Myanmar's ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) is also forcing survivors out of emergency shelters to return to their villages, which in many cases were destroyed by the cyclone a month ago, Amnesty said at a press conference.

The government's actions are placing tens of thousands of already vulnerable survivors at increased risk of death, disease and hunger, said Amnesty Myanmar researcher Benjamin Zawacki.

"Thousands of cyclone survivors are now suffering at the hands of the SPDC," he said.

The UN estimates more than 77,000 have been killed and 55,000 others are missing since the cyclone struck, and an estimated 2.4 million people are in need of food, shelter or medical care.

Zawacki said survivors are at risk because much of the needed aid is being confiscated by government officials.

Citing more than 40 confirmed reports of aid being stolen, including one case where 48 loaded trucks were impounded, Zawacki said the SPDC is not upholding their pledge to "take punitive action against" offenders who steal aid, but instead allows local officials to act with impunity.

Zawacki said the international community needs to take stronger action to make sure aid is getting through, but at the same time other human rights abuses should not be overlooked so aid can get in.

Many aid agencies have toned down their criticism of the SPDC so not to offend them and see their aid efforts thwarted. Zawacki said that approach does no good.

"Amnesty appreciates the delicate balance between (aid agencies) maintaining their access, and increasing their access, to the delta ... and including human rights principles into their work. But at this stage, after one month, (they need) to insure that these violations stop," he said.

Human rights concerns are not mutually exclusive from efforts to get aid to where it is needed, he said, because it is those very violations that is keeping aid from getting to the cyclone survivors in need.

"Given the SPDC's long track record of abuses, humanitarian agencies should be especially alert to SPDC diverting or obstruction their aid," he said. (dpa)