MYANMAR INFORMATION COMMITTEE, YANGON
Information Sheet
N0. C- 2759( I/L)
8th September, 2003


Government Of Myanmar Wishes To Share Some Factual Information With The International Community
 

Once again, just as the world witness the destructive engagement of the United States in Myanmar’s internal affairs by way of creating a false claim made on 31 August, the United States wasted no time in releasing another claim based on yet more "reliable" and "credible" sources. On Saturday, 6 September, Radio Free Asia, a U.S.-based station financed by the United States government and ironically known as Rumors and Fabrication for Asia (RFA), claimed that the incident that took place in Myanmar on 30 May, 2003 resulted in up to 100 deaths. This claim has been made earlier by the United States Embassy in Yangon, the same "reliable" source which was the origin of the United States’ claim made on 31 August. The international community will be the judge of the "reliability" of these sources and should also expect more "reliable" and "credible" information from the United States Department of State or "Department of Spin" as it has been recently referred to by the diplomatic and business community in Yangon.

Myanmar has been persevering under the intense meddling in its internal affairs by the United States for years. Just recently, the United States resorted to impose economic sanctions on Myanmar. In the words of one leading American politician, former United States Secretary of State Madeline Albright, answering to a sanctions-related question in U.S. weekly news magazine "60 Minutes" a few years ago, about her opinion on the reports of half-million Iraqi children dying as a result of the sanctions, Ms. Albright replied, "It’s a very hard choice, but the price -- we think the price is worth it". Ms. Albright just happened to be one of the leading supporters of the United States sanctions on Myanmar. The world will be the judge of whether the United States has any concerns for the welfare of the mass population of the country when it imposes sanctions on any particular nation under the much-abused and misused pretext of democracy and human rights.

If democracy is United States’ priority, there are many far more important venues and issues the United States could pay attention to rather than a small, peaceful country like Myanmar which is already in the process of evolution towards a democracy.

In spite of the constant negative attitude and claims launched by the U.S. Government, Myanmar has undeniably managed to transform itself into one of the most peaceful and stable nations in the world today from, not so long ago, a war-torn country. It is in the interest of all the people of Myanmar to continue to march towards building a more peaceful, stable and a functioning democratic system in Myanmar, based on a solid economic base, stable societies with assured national security and a Constitution suited to the culture and needs of a country.

As it has been said in the past, the Government of Myanmar holds no ill-will towards the United States or the people of America. The Myanmar people are very much aware of the fact that the sanctions being imposed on the country are being done under the influence of extreme elements in the United States’ political spectrum. There are many United States citizens and even politicians who opposed to such methods which negatively affect the livelihood of the Myanmar people.

We remain open, as always, to all constructive and pragmatic advice from friends near and far. And lastly, we not only urge the United States to join the people of Myanmar in our peaceful political transition to democracy but also to join in the development of emerging democracies around the world.