Myanmar rejects politically motivated resolution which grossly mischaracterised and Rakhine State issue

Date: November 16, 2019

On 14 November 2019, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee) of the 74^th UN General Assembly took action on five country-specific resolutions against Myanmar, DPRK, Iran, Crimea (Ukraine) and Syria. Myanmar delegation called for the vote regarding the resolution on Myanmar and voted against the politically motivated resolution co-sponsored by OIC and EU.

The Permanent Representative made a general statement before the action was taken and responded to the outcome after the voting. In his general statement, the Permanent Representative pointed out that the draft resolution grossly mischaracterized the complex issue of Rakhine. He stated that the situation in Rakhine State is neither an issue of religious persecution nor an issue of driving a community out of the country. It is a complicated political and economic issue involving cross-border migration, poverty, lack of the rule of law and security. He further pointed out that the resolution is just another statement that attempts to demonize Myanmar and neglects the monumental task that the Government of Myanmar is carrying out to address the issue.

After the voting, the Permanent Representative responded that the results of the voting reflected the divisive nature of country-specific resolutions. Myanmar learned a lesson, again, how some member states use the power of bloc voting to exert pressures on other member countries for their political agenda. The adoption of the discriminatory draft resolution demonstrates the failure to uphold the principle of sovereign equality of nations, undermining impartiality and fairness and application of double standards and exceptionalism and selectivity in addressing the humanitarian and human rights issues. Moreover, he strongly rejects the dubious, ill-intentioned, selective and politically motivated resolution. – MNA

PHOTO: MNA

Myanmar delegation votes against the politically motivated resolution co-sponsored by Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and European Union.