It has been noted that the Sky News broadcasted a television programme “Inside Myanmar: the Hidden War” on 18 July 2023 at 9:00 p.m (BST). While it showed recent human suffering in Myanmar due to armed conflict, it fails to present all sides of the story including the root causes of the conflict. The programme misleads with a wrong narrative that the Myanmar Government is killing its own people, and seeks the attention of viewers with emotional footages. It also attempts to sabotage the goodwill relationship between Myanmar and China with distorted information. The programme also tries to justify itself by interviewing with those who have negative impression on the Myanmar Government. To any audience with little or no knowledge of Myanmar, it can be easily deceptive.
Therefore, three key observations are made in response to the fabrications of the Sky News programme. Firstly, the main causes of the conflict in Myanmar are as a result of the refusal of the NLD Government to address electoral irregularities with fraudulent votes up to 30 percent of the total votes in the 2020 General Election. State of Emergency was declared and the Tatmadaw (Myanmar armed forces) had to assume the State responsibilities in accordance with the State Constitution 2008. Five-Point Roadmap was set out to restore Myanmar’s electoral democracy but there are those who have chosen the path to armed violence and found themselves terrorizing the country.
Secondly, the Tatmadaw is fully capable of suppressing all the violence committed by so-called People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) terrorist groups. Bearing in mind of national reconciliation and collateral damages to civilian population, the Tatmadaw and other law enforcement agencies have been exercising maximum restraints themselves by adhering to the Geneva Conventions, rules of engagement and proportionality. At the other end of the spectrum, PDFs conducted full-scale terrorist attacks against innocent civilians to instill fear and disrupt peace and stability. They have ruthlessly murdered government employees, teachers, health workers, members of political parties who do not side with them. Over 6,000 innocent lives were lost from February 2021 to July 2023 at their hands. It is a fact that some countries and ethnic armed organisations in Myanmar are turning a blind eye to the appalling activities of PDFs and their support to NUG and CRPH encourage them to commit such atrocities.
Thirdly, Myanmar is a responsible member of the international community. It understands international concerns and appreciates goodwill gestures of the international community including its neighbouring and ASEAN countries in tackling Myanmar’s challenges.
However, any external process such as the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus must be complementary to Myanmar’s Five-Point Roadmap. Exerting pressure such as imposing sanctions, setting a timeframe as well as demonising Myanmar will create more negative implications than positive ones. While Myanmar anticipates to receive the understanding, and support of the international community, it remains committed to moving on with or without their support on its path to peace and prosperity.
The Sky News programme claims to bring Myanmar to the world’s attention, but in fact, it is found to be deceiving. Therefore, the Embassy categorically rejects the said TV programme of Sky News as it does not help anyone to understand the true situation in Myanmar.
Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
London
Date; 25 July 2023
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