Myanmar Rebuffs UN Rights Report, Citing Deportation of 73,000 Foreign Cyber-Scam Suspects and Ongoing Cooperation

Myanmar Rebuffs UN Rights Report, Citing Deportation of 73,000 Foreign Cyber-Scam Suspects and Ongoing Cooperation
Published 26 October 2026

Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has rejected a UN Secretary-General report on the country’s human rights situation, dismissing it as biased, one-sided, and reliant on anti-government narratives.

In a statement issued on October 26, 2026, the ministry highlighted its governance and law enforcement efforts, noting that as of October 4, 2026, Myanmar had repatriated 73,085 foreign nationals from 59 countries linked to cross-border online scam operations. Authorities stressed that roughly 99% of perpetrators in these syndicates entered illegally via neighboring states, prompting the passage of an Anti-Online Scam Bill in July 2026 and the planned launch of a Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) system.

Addressing humanitarian cooperation, MOFA pointed out that 17 UN agencies continue to operate nationwide alongside 88 international NGO projects. The ministry also addressed the Rakhine issue: while reiterating that it does not recognize the term "Rohingya," it noted that under bilateral agreements, over 449,000 displaced individuals sent from Bangladesh have been screened, with more than 326,000 verified as former Rakhine residents eligible for return once regional stability permits. It added that 13,000 Bengalis nationwide have been granted citizenship under the 1982 Citizenship Law since 2025.

Concluding its response, MOFA formally dissociated from and rejected the report (A/81/302), characterizing it as a breach of sovereign equality that applies politicized double standards to human rights.