12 October 2024
48188
2024-10-12 09:37
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday issued a press statement. It stated that during the 57th Session of the Human Rights Council which was convened recently in Geneva, the unfavourable interactive dialogues on the report of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) and on the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights were held on 9 September and 24 September 2024, respectively, in the absence of the country concerned, Myanmar.
In 2024 alone, the Council has organized a total of six discussions targeting Myanmar. These discussions do not contribute to the development of Myanmar while exhausting the time and resources of the United Nations.
Since the mandate of the IIMM has stemmed from a politicized country-specific resolution which did not attain a consensus among the member, Myanmar has never acknowledged or accepted the mechanism since its inception. It is observed that the conclusions of the IIMM’s report are drawn from unreliable sources.
In addition, the vague modalities of IIMM including unlimited term, absence of supervision, and reliance on funds outside the regular budget make its independence, impartiality, and objectivity questionable.
Since the report of the High Commissioner relies on unverified and misleading information, it fosters mistrust between Myanmar and the international community. Regarding the allegations of treatment of prisoners and mental health, the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission has been conducting prison visits since 2021, offering recommendations on prison conditions and treatment of prisoners.
Myanmar has also taken steps in addressing mental health issues through the implementation of a Mental Health Policy and Strategic Plan for Mental Health (2021-2024). The plan aims for a comprehensive approach to providing mental healthcare, both in hospitals and within communities. The report also fails to verify allegations and neglects publicly available information provided by the government. The report particularly waters down the violence committed by PDF and various armed groups, while focusing disproportionately on the Tatmadaw’s countermeasures despite following Rules of Engagement and domestic laws.
Myanmar urges the United Nations and the international community to refrain from supporting the acts of the terrorist groups, and to cooperate with the government in combating terrorism and preventing terrorist acts. As the government is committed to the implementation of the Five-Point Roadmap, the successful launch of the nationwide population and household census on 1 October 2024 marks a significant step to hold free and fair elections.
The government assures all available assistance reach the needy population without any discrimination. All secured areas are granted access to UN agencies and international organizations for provision of humanitarian assistance.
The government has been coordinating with the UN agencies in providing relief assistance to disaster-affected areas as well as facilitating the participation of the donors in distribution process. The government has been deepening cooperation with the United Nations, particularly in the area of humanitarian assistance.
Last August, Myanmar received the delegation of the United Nations’ Emergency Directors Group (EDG) from New York. Moreover, the government held two meetings with the UN agencies in 2024, on its policies and challenges in cooperation.
It is high time the United Nations acknowledged the unwavering efforts towards peace, stability and democratization of Myanmar. Myanmar calls on the United Nations to end these repetitive mechanisms and foster constructive cooperation to address the challenges the country is facing, rather than obstructing its development with redundant and duplicate mechanisms.