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GENEVA : The UN Human Rights Council fiercely attacked Myanmar's human rights record Friday, and urged the military regime to release all political prisoners and to take urgent measures to end abuses.
The resolution was passed by the council without a vote, although several state members expressed concerns about the draft, particularly Myanmar's neighbours and members of the Association of South-east Asian Nations.
The Filippino representative said Myanmar "must be encouraged in a constructive and less condemnatory manner", while Malaysia said the text "would have been more balanced if it had shown developments" in the country.
The draft resolution tabled by Slovenia on behalf of the European Union expressed "deep concern" at the human rights situation in Myanmar, including the repression of peaceful demonstrations last September.
It slammed the "failure of the Government of Myanmar to investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of these violations".
The text also condemned the "systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country, continued arbitrary detentions and the continuing high number of political prisoners".
In response, Myanmar's representative complained the resolution "completely disregards the actual significant political situation in Myanmar by attempting to politicise internal affairs under the pretext of human rights obligations".
"We cannot accept this politicised approach. We totally and categorically reject the contents of the draft and disassociate ourselves from the resolution on the situation of human rights in Myanmar," he said.
- AFP /ls
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