Myanmar is in crisis, with conflict escalating, criminal networks “out of control” and human suffering at unprecedented levels, UN Special Envoy for Myanmar Julie Bishop told the UN General Assembly’s human rights committee on Tuesday in her first report since being appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in April last year.
“Myanmar actors must move beyond the current zero-sum mentality,” Bishop said.
The army in Myanmar ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and suppressed widespread protests that sought a return to democratic rule, leading to increasing violence and a humanitarian crisis.
Photo: Reuters
In the past year, three ethnic armed militias have gained territory, keeping the government’s ruling military increasingly on the back foot in fighting that has forced hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes.
Three million people are displaced across Myanmar and about 18.6 million need humanitarian assistance, UN data showed.
Bishop called for an end to the violence, adding: “There can be little progress on addressing the needs of the people while armed conflict continues across the country.”
The former Australian foreign minister said she has engaged with the Burmese government, including 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 numerous countries.
“Any pathway to reconciliation requires an end to violence, accountability, and unfettered access for the UN and its partners to address vulnerabilities among the marginalized, including Rohingya, ethnic communities, and particularly women and youth,” Bishop said.
However, instead she pointed to rising civilian casualties and the rule of law “so severely undermined that transnational crime emanating from Myanmar is proliferating.”
“The sheer scale of arms productions and trade, human trafficking, drug manufacture and trafficking, and scam centers means Myanmar now ranks highest among all member states for organized crime,” she said. “The criminal networks are out of control.”
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