Myanmar says UN findings on human rights lack credibility

Myanmar's government has rejected two reports presented to the UN Human Rights Council that concluded it committed extreme human rights violations, probably amounting to crimes under international law, in its repression of several minority groups.

Government spokesman Zaw Htay said the reports presented Tuesday by the Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar and Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar Yanghee Lee lacked credibility.

The Fact-Finding Mission said it found evidence of human rights violations against the Kachin, Shan and Rohingya minorities "in all likelihood amounting to crimes under international law."

Lee said violent sweeps by the Myanmar army in Rakhine state that prompted about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh "bear the hallmarks of genocide."