UNITED NATIONS - A Chinese envoy said Tuesday that China opposes the politicization of Myanmar's human rights issues.
Sun Lei, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, made the statement at an informal meeting of the General Assembly on Myanmar.
The meeting was mandated by General Assembly Resolution 79/182. China dissociated itself from consensus on the resolution, he said. "We oppose the politicization and instrumentalization of human rights issues, and reject the practice of exerting public pressure on such matters."
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As a friendly neighbor, China supports Myanmar in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, and in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and national stability while steadily advancing its domestic political agenda, he said.
China supports the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in playing its role as the main channel and hopes that ASEAN's proposal and Myanmar's roadmap will reinforce each other and be effectively implemented, he said.
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The international community should focus its efforts on bridging differences and resolving issues, rather than intensifying tensions or further complicating the situation, said Sun.
At present, the people of Myanmar have an urgent need for an end to the fighting and for humanitarian assistance. China has been actively engaged in promoting peace talks and achieved positive results, he said. "We will continue to play a constructive role in helping Myanmar achieve stability and reconciliation. And we hope the international community will work in the same direction."
The return of refugees to Myanmar's Rakhine State from Bangladesh must ultimately be resolved through dialogue and consultation between the two countries. China has long been engaged in active diplomatic efforts in this regard and has provided multiple batches of humanitarian assistance to both sides. The international community should support Myanmar and Bangladesh in strengthening communication and determination so as to accumulate favorable conditions and create an enabling environment for the repatriation process, said Sun.
