(22-3-2022, Nay Pyi Taw)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs observed that Mr. Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States of America made a public announcement at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. on 21 March 2022 determining that the Myanmar Tatmadaw has committed genocide and crimes against Bengali Community in northern Rakhine State.

The Ministry wishes to reiterate that Myanmar as a party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the Statute of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under the Charter of the United Nations is fully committed to respecting all the existing obligations. As such Myanmar has never engaged in any genocidal actions and does not have any genocidal intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, racial or religious group or any other group.

The narratives mentioned in the speech of the Secretary of State are found to be far from realities and references made were also from unreliable and unverifiable sources as well as sweeping allegations.

The Ministry, thus, strongly objects and categorically rejects the remarks made by the Secretary of State of the United States of America as the contents and narratives therein are politically motivated and tantamount to interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign State.