UN envoy warns Myanmar in crisis, conflict escalating and criminal networks ‘out of control’

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. special envoy for Myanmar warned that the Southeast Asian nation is in crisis. conflict escalatescriminal networks are “out of control” and people are suffering at unprecedented levels.

“Myanmar actors must move beyond the current zero-sum mentality,” Julie Bishop told the UN General Assembly’s human rights committee on Tuesday in her first report since being appointed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last April.

The military in Myanmar overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and suppressed widespread nonviolent protests aimed at returning democratic rule; This led to increased violence and a humanitarian crisis.

Last year, Three powerful ethnic armed militias seized territoryAdhering to the government’s decision The army is increasingly falling into the background In conflicts that caused hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes. According to the UN, 3 million people across Myanmar are displaced and approximately 18.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Bishop called for an end to the violence, emphasizing that “little progress can be made in meeting the needs of the people while armed conflicts continue across the country.”

The former Australian foreign minister said he was in contact with the government. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing In Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw, as well as opposition representatives, ethnic armed organizations, women’s groups, human rights defenders and many other countries. He did not give details about the meetings.

He said he met with current, former and future ASEAN chairmen in Vientiane, Laos; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The UN envoy said he had also visited Myanmar’s neighbors China and Thailand and would soon visit India and Bangladesh and “will continue to encourage neighboring countries to strengthen their influence”. He said he would also return to Naypyidaw, but did not give any time frame. He did not provide details about any of the meetings.

At the recent summit between the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, Bishop said Secretary-General Guterres supported strengthened cooperation between the UN envoy and the ASEAN chair “on innovative ways to promote a Myanmar-led process.”

This includes the “effective implementation” of the five-point ASEAN plan that Myanmar rulers adopted in April 2021 but have done little to deliver. It calls for an immediate cessation of violence, a dialogue mediated by the ASEAN special representative among all parties involved, the provision of humanitarian aid, and a visit by the association’s special representative to Myanmar to meet with all parties involved.

“Any path to reconciliation requires an end to violence, accountability and unfettered access by the UN and its partners to address vulnerabilities among the Rohingya, ethnic communities and marginalized populations, especially women and youth,” Bishop said.

But instead he noted rising civilian casualties and that the rule of law has been “so seriously undermined that international crimes originating from Myanmar are proliferating.”

“The sheer size of arms production and trade, human trafficking, drug production and trafficking, and fraud centers means Myanmar now ranks top among all member states for organized crime,” he said. “Criminal networks are out of control”

Bishop supported Guterres, who emphasized the urgency of paving the way for democratic transition and return to civilian rule.

“I share the military’s expressed concern about its intention to hold elections amid intensifying conflict and human rights violations,” he said.

Bishop warned that “the Myanmar conflict risks becoming a forgotten crisis.”

“The regional effects of this crisis are obvious, but its global impact can no longer be ignored,” he said.