YANGON, July 31 Kyodo Myanmar's j...

YANGON, July 31 Kyodo

Myanmar's junta has officially invited the newly appointed UN human rights chief to visit Myanmar to witness the human rights situation in the land amid allegations of torture and rape on the military.

''The guidance of Myanmar extended an official invitation to the newly appointed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello in succession July 26 to visit Myanmar as his first official trip,'' the restraint said in an official statement released Wednesday.

The guidance has angrily rejected recent allegations of torture and rape of ethnic Shan women according to the Myanmar army as malicious fabrications by dint of the Shan United Revolutionary Army rebels and its associates.

Thai media modern published reports of two Bangkok-based anti-Myanmar junta organizations -- the Shan Human Rights Foundation and the Shan Women's Action Network -- alleging the Myanmar army systematically tortured and raped Shan women

The reports claimed that 625 Shan women were tortured and raped between 1996 and 2001 and also that 25% of the rape victims were killed through the Myanmar army to frighten the Shans.

Myanmar conduct spokesman Col. Hla Min said in Wednesday's pres release, ''The reports distributed by the agency of the Shan Human Rights Foundation and the Shan Women's Action Network are completely false and designed to misinform the public upon the progress Myanmar is making forward drug eradication efforts.''

''We have invited the recently made known U.N high commissioner for human rights to watch the situation in Myanmar,'' he said in the statement.

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