Myanmar Government exerting all-out efforts to promote fundamental human rights, the right to development Myanmar strongly opposes, condemns selectivity and double standards in promotion and protection of human rights and exploitation of human rights as pretext for political purposes, making false accusations of internal affairs of other countries

Nay Pyi Taw, 9 March— The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Union of Myanmar, today, issued a press release totally rejecting Country Reports on Human Rights Practices of over 190 countries including Myanmar released by the US Department of State on 7 March 2007 as the report carried a litany of unfounded and unsubstantiated allegations of human rights violations in Myanmar.

The following is the full text of the press release.

The US Department of State on 7 March 2007 released its 2006 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices of over 190 countries of the world, including Myanmar. As in the past, the report once again carried a litany of unfounded and unsubstantiated allegations of human rights violations in Myanmar.

As usual, the report falsely made sweeping accusations of human rights abuses in Myanmar, such as extrajudicial killings, custodial deaths, disappearances, rape and torture, arbitrary arrests, forced relocations, forced recruitment of child soldiers, use of forced labour, increased military attacks on ethnic minority villagers, continued detention of political prisoners, as well as restrictions on freedom of press, religion, movement, etc.

Considering the tone and tenor of the report, the source of these fabricated allegations must have emanated from the remaining insurgent group and anti-government elements, which are launching a systematic disinformation campaign by exploiting every sensitive issue to smear and tarnish the image of the Myanmar Government.

Following its failed attempt to pass a resolution on Myanmar at the United Nations Security Council, the US Government has publicly declared that it would use all multilateral avenues, including the Human Rights Council, to press on Myanmar. The Report is also a part of the US strategy to exert more pressure on Myanmar in pursuit of its own political agenda.

Contrary to the accusations made in the report, the Myanmar Government is exerting all out efforts to promote the fundamental human rights, the right to development. In order to fulfill the basic needs of its entire population, the Government has been relentlessly striving for all-round development of the country, including the remote border areas where the majority of ethnic nationalities reside. As a result, significant improvements can be seen in the economic and social conditions as well as the living standards of the entire populace, including the national races.

Turning a blind eye to these positive developments and prevalence of peace and tranquility nation-wide, the report released by the US is devoid of factual correctness and does not reflect the realities in the country. Myanmar strongly opposes and condemns selectivity and double standards in the promotion and protection of human rights and exploitation of human rights as pretext for political purposes, making false accusations of internal affairs of other countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs therefore totally rejects the biased assessment on the human rights situation in Myanmar contained in the US Department of State’s 2006 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.