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West inventing Myanmar health crisi



Subject: West inventing Myanmar health crisis: junta chief

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Tuesday, December 21 2:10 PM SGT=20
West inventing Myanmar health crisis: junta chief
YANGON, Dec 21 (AFP) -=20
Myanmar's ruling military has accused powerful western nations and =
organisations of inventing a health crisis in the country to pressure =
the junta to reform.

The claim follows a World Bank report which points to malnutrition as a =
"silent emergency," as well as a significantly lower life expectancy and =
a child mortality rate twice that of the region.

"It is found that some big western nations are citing wrong data and =
figures sent by anti-Myanmar organisations in their reports and =
publications with the intention of putting pressure on Myanmar," junta =
first secretary and intelligence czar General Khin Nyunt said in a =
speech published in the state-run media.

"These organisations are attempting to mislead the international =
community into thinking that the life expectancy of Myanmar people is =
getting lower as hospitals are outdated ... and that the mortality rate =
of children is high.

"It is also found that organisations which do not want to see the =
interests of Myanmar are also sending such data and figures to some UN =
agencies."

Earlier this year the United Nations AIDS program warned of a growing =
epidemic in Myanmar and said the junta was largely ignoring it, a charge =
which was greeted by Yangon's generals with loud indignation.

The UN said Myanmar was one of the danger zones in the region, with an =
estimated 440,000 Human Immune-deficiency Virus (HIV) positive people =
out of a population of about 48 million.

On Monday the junta said the World Bank's report, which says political =
reform including an improvement in human rights is essential to economic =
success, was "exaggerated" and contained inaccurate information.

The statement represented the first public response by the junta to the =
secret report compiled by a World Bank team earlier this year and leaked =
to a newspaper last month.

The controversial report was written with unprecedented cooperation from =
the government.

Economics Minister Brigadier-General David Abel met a World Bank =
representative in response to the assessment to point out a number of =
"irregularities," a junta spokesman told AFP.

"The irregularities of the report regarding figures, statistics and =
analysis were pointed out to him and the World Bank mission was invited =
for further discussions," he said in a faxed statement.

"Obviously the World Bank report was over exaggerated."

The document represents continued cooperation between the World Bank and =
the UN, which last year were reported to have unsuccessfully offered the =
junta substantial aid in return for dialogue with the democratic =
opposition.

The National League for Democracy under Aung San Suu Kyi won Myanmar's =
1990 polls in a landslide, but has been denied power by the military.


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<DIV><FONT size=3D2><B>Tuesday, December 21</B> 2:10 PM SGT=20
<H2>West inventing Myanmar health crisis: junta chief</H2>YANGON, Dec 21 =
(AFP) -=20

<P>Myanmar's ruling military has accused powerful western nations and=20
organisations of inventing a health crisis in the country to pressure =
the junta=20
to reform.</P>
<P>The claim follows a World Bank report which points to malnutrition as =
a=20
"silent emergency," as well as a significantly lower life expectancy and =
a child=20
mortality rate twice that of the region.</P>
<P>"It is found that some big western nations are citing wrong data and =
figures=20
sent by anti-Myanmar organisations in their reports and publications =
with the=20
intention of putting pressure on Myanmar," junta first secretary and=20
intelligence czar General Khin Nyunt said in a speech published in the =
state-run=20
media.</P>
<P>"These organisations are attempting to mislead the international =
community=20
into thinking that the life expectancy of Myanmar people is getting =
lower as=20
hospitals are outdated ... and that the mortality rate of children is =
high.</P>
<P>"It is also found that organisations which do not want to see the =
interests=20
of Myanmar are also sending such data and figures to some UN =
agencies."</P>
<P>Earlier this year the United Nations AIDS program warned of a growing =

epidemic in Myanmar and said the junta was largely ignoring it, a charge =
which=20
was greeted by Yangon's generals with loud indignation.</P>
<P>The UN said Myanmar was one of the danger zones in the region, with =
an=20
estimated 440,000 Human Immune-deficiency Virus (HIV) positive people =
out of a=20
population of about 48 million.</P>
<P>On Monday the junta said the World Bank's report, which says =
political reform=20
including an improvement in human rights is essential to economic =
success, was=20
"exaggerated" and contained inaccurate information.</P>
<P>The statement represented the first public response by the junta to =
the=20
secret report compiled by a World Bank team earlier this year and leaked =
to a=20
newspaper last month.</P>
<P>The controversial report was written with unprecedented cooperation =
from the=20
government.</P>
<P>Economics Minister Brigadier-General David Abel met a World Bank=20
representative in response to the assessment to point out a number of=20
"irregularities," a junta spokesman told AFP.</P>
<P>"The irregularities of the report regarding figures, statistics and =
analysis=20
were pointed out to him and the World Bank mission was invited for =
further=20
discussions," he said in a faxed statement.</P>
<P>"Obviously the World Bank report was over exaggerated."</P>
<P>The document represents continued cooperation between the World Bank =
and the=20
UN, which last year were reported to have unsuccessfully offered the =
junta=20
substantial aid in return for dialogue with the democratic =
opposition.</P>
<P>The National League for Democracy under Aung San Suu Kyi won =
Myanmar's 1990=20
polls in a landslide, but has been denied power by the military.</P>
<CENTER>
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