Myanmar on Human Rights, Democracy

[suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Myanmar on Human Rights, Democracy Concepts 

               Asia:Myanmar

               Myanmar on Human Rights,
               Democracy Concepts

               Xinhua
               07-NOV-98

               YANGON (Nov. 7) XINHUA - "Human rights for a third world
country like
               Myanmar mean the rights to enjoy the basic human
requirements such as
               security, food and shelter," a latest Myanmar official
report said. 

               The report on the political situation of Myanmar, issued by
the Office of
               Strategic Studies of the Defence Ministry, commented that
human rights mean to
               various nations with different economic, social, historical,
cultural and traditional
               values. 

               "Myanmar is at the moment trying to fulfil these basic
essential requirements and
               after that it will move on to another set of necessities
such as health and
               education followed by economic development," the report said. 

               Challenging the United States in its commitment and
obligation in fulfilling the
               basic human rights, the report said that security can never
be guaranteed in most
               of the U.S. cities, citing security after dark, starvation
on streets and death of
               homeless people during the winter season there. 

               The report claimed that Myanmar does not have homeless
people who die of
               being neglected by their own government which is
implementing the project
               called "From Huts to Proper Houses Scheme." 

               It pointed out that the Western's nations theory of
democracy has not only failed
               in many developing countries but created instability and
chaos. 

               "Myanmar must and will start to build up her democratic
institution with a solid
               foundation first and from there on it will expand and
develop into a much higher
               level," it stressed, saying that no country in the world can
expect to achieve a
               functioning democracy in a reverse way like expecting or
forcing a child to run
               first before learning how to walk properly. 

               It also charged that in the U.S. the basic universal human
rights such as security
               and protection of citizens, properties and lives have been
overshadowed and
               sidetracked by other individual rights. 

               Criticizing the sanctions and other pressures imposed by the
U.S. and the
               European Union (EU) on Myanmar, the report said these moves
indicate the
               West's real intention, which is "hypocrisy but not democracy
and might is right
               but not human right." 

               The U.S. imposed economic sanctions on Myanmar in May 1997,
banning new
               investments in the country, while the EU restricted visa
issue in 1996 to
               Myanmar high-level officials, freezing on contacts at
ministerial level and on an
               embargo on the sale of military equipment to the country.
The EU sanctions
               were extended to further six months since April this year. 

               Regarding the internal political situation in Myanmar, it
predicted that the
               demand for the freedom to exercise full political rights
will come when Myanmar
               reaches a more mature stage where the unity of the 135
ethnic groups living in
               the country becomes stronger and when the fundamental needs
of the population
               have been fulfilled to a much higher level. 

               "Myanmar must and should be at her very stage of development
prioritizing
               national unity, peace, stability and developing her economy
with an aim of
               creating a strong middle class," the report emphasized. 





                                                   

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