UN makes Myanmar diplomatic bid
Thailand is 1st stop for special envoy
The UN’s special envoy for Myanmar is to embark on an Asian tour to step up diplomatic efforts to tackle the crisis.
The push by Christine Schraner Burgener comes amid mounting international concern at events in Myanmar, where the death toll from the junta’s crackdown on dissent passed 600 yesterday.
Thailand’s neighbour has been rocked by daily protests since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and seized power on Feb 1. Ms Burgener will start her trip in Thailand and will also visit China, although her exact schedule has not been confirmed.
At least 614 civilians have been killed in the military’s crackdown on protests and nearly 3,000 arrested, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a local monitoring group.
There was more bloodshed early yesterday, with rescue workers reporting at least four people killed when security forces broke up protest barricades in the city of Bago, 65 kilometres northeast of Yangon.
UN rights officials say the military is making increasing use of heavy weaponry including rocket-propelled and fragmentation grenades, heavy machine guns and snipers.
The violent response has drawn intense international criticism and on Thursday Washington imposed more sanctions, this time on Myanmar’s state gem company, as it seeks to deprive the junta of sources of income.
Ms Burgener wants to meet the generals but has not received permission to visit Myanmar.
“She, of course, stands ready to resume dialogue with the military to contribute to a return to Myanmar’s democratic path, peace and stability,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
As well as China — a key player with historical links to the military and which more recently cultivated close relations with Suu Kyi — Ms Burgener also hopes to visit member countries of regional bloc Asean.
“As she has highlighted repeatedly,
a robust international response to the ongoing crisis in Myanmar requires a unified regional effort involving neighbouring countries who can leverage influence towards stability,” Mr Dujarric said.
An Asean summit on Myanmar is scheduled for the end of the month, but diplomats say the bloc is deeply divided over the crisis.
“At one end, there are Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, who are in the mode of ‘back off, there’s nothing to see, it’s a question of internal politics,’” one diplomat said.
He added that Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia were open to a more active role for Asean.
The UN Security Council was set to meet informally later yesterday to hear from Myanmar lawmaker Zin Mar Aung on behalf of the CRPH group, which represents the deposed civilian government.
Meanwhile, Myanmar’s ruling military yesterday said it believed government operations would soon return to normal, as public participation in protests and strikes against the junta was waning.
In a televised news conference, junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said the military council was working to achieve peace and security in the country and it would soon be “normal service resumed”.