YANGON, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar rebutted the accusations of its violation of human rights at Rakhine state and called on the international community to contribute to the democratization and construction of the region, a senior official was quoted by local media as saying Wednesday.
"History will be the ultimate judge of what has occurred in Rakhine state," Myanmar's Permanent Representative to the United Nations U Htin Lynn was quoted by the Global New Light of Myanmar as saying.
At a dialogue on Myanmar's human rights situation during the ongoing 37th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, U Htin Lynn made a rebuttal statement, saying that it is "unreasonable to assert that Myanmar leadership, whose mission has human rights at its core, remains indifferent to the allegations of grave human rights violation."
During the dialogue, Yanghee Lee, Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, presented her report, followed by an oral report of the Chair of the Independent International Fact-finding Mission on Myanmar to the Human Rights Council. Both of them charged Myanmar with committing violence and genocide with regard to Rakhine issue.
In a rebuttal, U Htin Lynn said:" The leadership and the government shall never tolerate such crime. Myanmar is ready to take action when there is clear evidence. Legal action has already been taken against military and police officers and civilians who were found to be in breach of standard operating procedures and rules of engagement following the Inn Din incident."
He clarified that in preparing facilities for refugees' repatriation, bulldozing the ground and building new structures on sites of Muslim homes is part of the process, calling for not viewing the situation with a preconceived mind and doubtful eyes.
Last week, Myanmar military also rejected the European Union Foreign Affairs Council's latest charges on Rakhine issue, saying that the one-sided accusations will badly impact Myanmar armed forces' implementation of law and order, state security and participation in the democracy transition as well as the government's rehabilitation of conflict-torn area.
Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an arrangement in November last year on the return of displaced persons from Bangladesh, who fled from the Rakhine conflict.
The ARSA extremist launched attacks on police outposts in Rakhine on Aug. 25 last year, displacing residents from a number of areas in Maungtaw district.
