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

United Nations (AP) — The UN special envoy to Myanmar has warned that the Southeast Asian country is facing a crisis. conflict escalationcriminal networks “out of control” and human suffering at an unprecedented level.

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 that “actors in Myanmar must move beyond the current zero-sum mentality.”

In February 2021, Myanmar’s army overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and suppressed large-scale non-violent protests seeking a return to democratic rule, leading to increased violence and a humanitarian crisis.

Last year, three powerful ethnic armed groups conquered the territorykeeping the government decree the military is increasingly on the back foot in the fighting that forced hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes. According to the UN, 3 million people are displaced throughout Myanmar, and about 18.6 million are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Bishop called for an end to the violence, stressing that “there can be little progress in meeting people’s needs while armed conflict continues throughout the country.”

Australia’s former foreign minister said she cooperated with the government in particular Senior General Min Aung Khlein in the capital of Myanmar, Naypyidaw, as well as representatives of the opposition, ethnic armed organizations, women’s groups, human rights activists and numerous countries. She did not provide details of the meetings.

She said she spoke with current, past and future ASEAN Chairs in Vientiane, Laos; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The UN representative said she had also visited Myanmar’s neighbors China and Thailand, and would soon visit India and Bangladesh, “continuing to call on neighboring countries to increase their influence.” She said she would also return to Naypyidaw, but did not give a time frame. She did not provide details of any of the meetings.

At a recent summit between the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, Bishop said Secretary-General Guterres supports increased cooperation between the UN representative and the ASEAN chairman “on innovative ways to advance the Myanmar-led process.”

This includes the “effective implementation” of ASEAN’s five-point plan, which Myanmar’s rulers agreed to in April 2021 but have done little to implement. He calls for an immediate end to the violence, dialogue between all stakeholders mediated by the ASEAN Special Representative, humanitarian aid and a visit by the association’s special envoy to Myanmar to meet with all stakeholders.

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

But instead, she pointed to rising civilian casualties and “so serious an undermining of the rule of law that transnational crime originating in Myanmar is spreading.”

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

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

“I share his concern about the military’s stated intention to hold elections in a context of escalating conflict and human rights violations,” she said.

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

“The regional implications of this crisis are clear, but the global impact can no longer be ignored,” she said.