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The Nation (22-12-99)
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<font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=5><b>Junta accuses West of
fuelling health scare<br>
</font></b><font size=2>Agence France-Presse<br>
<br>
</font><font size=3>RANGOON - Burma?s ruling military has accused
powerful western nations and organisations of inventing a health crisis
in the country to pressure the junta to reform.<br>
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.<br>
?It is found that some big western nations are citing wrong data and
figures sent by. anti-Myanmar (Burma) organisations in their reports and
publications with the intention of putting pressure on Myanmar,?<br>
junta first secretary and intelligence tsar Gen Khin Nyunt said in a
speech published in the state-run media.<br>
?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getting lower as hospitals are outdated.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.<br>
?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.?<br>
Earlier this year the United Nations Aids programme warned of a growing
epidemic in Burma and said the junta was largely ignoring it, a charge
that was greeted by Rangoon?s generals with loud indignation.<br>
The UN said Burma was one of the danger zones in the region, with an
estimated 440,000 Human Inimune-deficien Virus (H1V) positive people out
of a population of about 48 million.<br>
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.<br>
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.<br>
Economics Minister Brig-Gen David Abel met a World Bank representative in
response to the assessment to point out a number of ?irregularities?, a
junta spokesman said.<br>
?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.<br>
?Obviously the World Bank report was over-exaggerated.?<br>
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.<br>
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