Information Sheet No.A-0746(I/

[OKKAR66129@xxxxxxx]

Subject: Information Sheet      No.A-0746(I/L)

				MYANMAR INFORMATION COMMITTEE
							YANGON
						Information Sheet 
				No.A-0746(I/L) 28th December 1998

						Special Feature

This office is presenting " Myanmar News Release " ( Vol.10  No.8 of 23
December,1998) from Myanmar Emvassy in Ottawa for your information.

Myanmar News Release
The report in the Ottawa Citizens ( December 23, 1998, page A7 ) entitled "
persecution's Top-10 list " by Bob Harvey is a blatant attempt to use "
religion" as a " tool" to deliberately divide a country that has achieved
unity in recent years with over 90% of its own ethnic nationalities with
different religious beliefs.

All prominent leaders of Christian, Muslim and Hindu religions in the country
have never hesitated to declare that the Union of Myanmar is a nation where
religious freedom is a right every citizen has enjoued and are continuing to
enjoy up to this day. The accusation that " Buddhists " are being wiped out in
a land that is 87% Buddhist ( also mentioned in the report ) is particularly
preposterous.

The allegations made in the above mentioned report have been emanating from
the last remaining secessionist insurgent groups who are, as a last desperate
resort, trying to gain support from Christian organizations in the West for
the very survival of their own divisive movements within the Union.

The world has already suffered so much from religious and ethnic strife. The
media now should be careful NOT to allow such reports that label polotically
different groups by their religious beliefs.

The Embassy of the Uniou of Myanmar therefore rejects the interchurch
Committee's report on " Burma/Myanmar" as completely misleading and utterly
baseless.

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