Myanmar: guidelines for UN imposed for their own safety

AFP, 18 Dec 2006 

Naypyidaw: Military-ruled Myanmar said Sunday that regulations on how United Nations agencies and development organisations operate were imposed to ensure no “unpleasant incidents” happen to them.
Several UN agencies and non-governmental organisations have complained that their movements within the secretive state have been restricted, thus hampering their ability to carry out their work independently.

Soe Tha, minister for National Planning and Economic Development, told reporters Sunday that contrary to their complaints, the regulations were in fact there to make life easier for them.

“Even we, ourselves, have to take security precautions for traveling, let alone the foreigners, since there still remain a few insurgents in some parts of the country,” he said.
“We do not wish any unpleasant incidents to happen to them even if they take their own risks to travel.”
Myanmar’s junta has signed peace deals with 17 armed ethnic groups, but a handful of rebel groups continue to fight against the military government.

Soe Tha said UN agencies were required to inform the government two weeks ahead of a trip to a project site, and chastised UN officials who did not stick to their proposed itineraries.
“These people do not try to understand our situation; they thought we were hindering them from what they wanted to do,” he said. “In fact, it is not (the case).”
He said that Myanmar was cooperating with the United Nations and other development agencies on more that 120 projects, but warned that “we cannot accept those who use UN to do activities that will infringe our sovereignty”.

The junta in February issued seven pages of guidelines, including rules on employment and a requirement that government officials must accompany staff when they travel in Myanmar.
Even before then, agencies had complained of limitations of their activities.

In August last year, the UN-created Global Fund against AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis — diseases that are prevalent in Myanmar — announced it was pulling out, citing the junta’s restrictions.
Myanmar’s generals have long accused some foreigners of seeking to overthrow the government, labelling them “destructive elements” who encourage dissident opposition groups.