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Human suffering at unprecedented levels and criminal networks ‘out of control’, a UN special envoy warns.
Myanmar is in crisis as the conflict escalates, with criminal networks “out of control” and human suffering at unprecedented levels, a United Nations report has warned.
UN Special Envoy for Myanmar Julie Bishop told the UN General Assembly Human Rights Committee on Tuesday that “actors in Myanmar must move beyond the current zero-sum mentality.”
The bishop called for an end to the violence and stressed that little progress can be made in meeting people’s needs as armed conflict continues in the Southeast Asian country and causes increasing civilian casualties.
The conflict has “so severely undermined the rule of law” that “transnational crime originating in Myanmar is spreading,” she added.
“The sheer scale of arms production and trafficking, human trafficking, drug production and trafficking and scam centers means that Myanmar now ranks first among all Member States in terms of organized crime,” she said. “The criminal networks have gotten out of hand.”
‘Forgotten crisis’
Myanmar’s military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and suppressed widespread protests demanding a return to democratic rule.
Over the past year, powerful ethnic armed groups have seized territory, with the military government’s forces increasingly taking a back seat in the fighting.
The UN estimates that three million people are displaced across Myanmar and about 18.6 million are in need of humanitarian assistance.
Bishop, who previously served as Australia’s foreign minister, said she has been in contact with government officials, including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw, as well as representatives of the opposition and ethnic armed organizations.
It was unclear when the meetings took place and Bishop provided no further details.
The UN envoy said she has also visited China and Thailand and will soon visit India and Bangladesh, “and continues to urge neighboring countries to leverage their influence.”
She said she would also return to Naypyidaw, but did not provide a timetable.
“Any path to reconciliation requires an end to violence, accountability and unfettered access for the UN and its partners,” Bishop said.
“The conflict in Myanmar risks becoming a forgotten crisis,” she added. “The regional implications of this crisis are evident, but the global impact can no longer be ignored.”