March 27, 2007	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 7, 1428

NAYPYIDAW (Myanmar): Myanmar on Sunday accused the International Committee of the Red Cross of blackmail, and said the organisation was favouring political prisoners in the military-ruled nation.

The ICRC said earlier this month that its humanitarian work in Myanmar is at “near-paralysis” because of obstruction by the country's military authorities, who had prevented the group from visiting prisons for more than a year. Myanmar's police chief, Police Brigadier General Khin Yi, accused the ICRC of favouring political prisoners after it initially had helped provide artificial limbs to amputees.

“Later it started to meet only with those prisoners who had harmed the national stability,” he said, adding that the organisation refused to be accompanied on its prison visits by Myanmar officials. He said he met with a representative of the ICRC last Friday to discuss the situation. The ICRC has closed two field offices in Myanmar.

“We asked if it was like blackmail,” Khin Yi said. He did not say what the response was from the ICRC was. “We have no problem in relation with the ICRC, it is a matter of security of the nation,” he added.—AFP