New York, UN
Julie Bishop, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar
Chair, Excellencies,
The Secretary-General’s report details how the people within Myanmar and along its borders are still suffering from unspeakable hardship.
I have now visited Myanmar on three occasions and met again last month with the Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing. He was buoyed by his perception of waning international condemnation, an increasing number of engagements with global leaders and invitations for official and unofficial visits from some member states.
An international refocus on Myanmar is urgently required as we approach the five-year mark since the military takeover, which has aggravated a national crisis exacerbated by decades of internal armed conflict.
Myanmar’s vulnerability to natural disasters is accentuating its political instability.
Yet, all sides are bent on pursuing a military solution.
There is a deeply disturbing pattern of indiscriminate attacks on civilians and, with ongoing restrictions for humanitarian access, human suffering is at alarming levels.
The surge in aerial bombardments and civilian casualties is also in regions most severely impacted by recent earthquakes.
The aerial attack during the Buddhist Festival of Light in Sagaing which killed and injured dozens, including children, was one among many civilian atrocities.
The cycle of impunity demands accountability as a pre-requisite for any sustainable reconciliation.
I have reinforced the entreaties of Member States in my briefings to the Security Council and the General Assembly, as well as in my meetings with the Commander-in-Chief and the opposition entities, calling for an end to the violence and the protection of civilians, ensuring humanitarian access and compliance with obligations under international humanitarian law, the release of political prisoners and the pursuit of an inclusive path toward a peaceful resolution.
And then, holding inclusive, free and fair elections across the nation - free of violence and in accordance with international benchmarks for a genuine democratic election process.
Time is slipping away. We have yet to find common ground or a willingness to compromise.
Earlier this month, the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC) commemorated the tenth anniversary of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).
The event exposed the seemingly intractable deep divisions across the nation. Some former signatories called for a boycott and criticised the SSPC’s planned elections arguing that the military takeover had already violated the NCA and the Constitution.
The Commander-in-Chief explained to me how the SSPC is preparing for elections in three phases, beginning on 28 December in roughly a third of Myanmar’s townships.
Resistance actors and excluded political parties, including the National League for Democracy, whose leaders remain in detention, have rejected the polls as a “sham attempt” to gain legitimacy.
The SSPC’s expectation of territorial gains during the electoral process underscores the risk of deepening violence and instability as others vow fierce resistance. Those who support these elections should consider potential consequences. No elections should risk human lives.
In my ongoing dialogue with a number of Myanmar stakeholders, they question how responsible Member States of the UN can support elections administered by the same actors contemporaneously carrying out military operations against its own people.
Under the current circumstances, it is difficult to envision how any voter, election worker or observer can be guaranteed protection.
The UN stands with the people of Myanmar and will stay and deliver in order to address the dire needs through all available channels.
I count on all sides to cooperate with the recently deployed UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim Gwyn Lewis in this regard.
During recent Myanmar stakeholder consultations hosted by Malaysia as the current ASEAN Chair, participants called for sustained humanitarian support and stronger partnerships with local organisations.
There is a desperate need for unhindered humanitarian access. We rely on unified support from Member States, including urgent funding for the efforts by the UN and its partners, to deliver life-saving assistance and essential services.
I commend Malaysia’s efforts to foster a coherent regional response and dialogue among Myanmar actors.
The ASEAN Chair’s Special Envoy and I have undertaken several joint initiatives focused on amplifying the voices of those most vulnerable, including women and girls.
This partnership remains essential not least as the regional implications of the crisis continue to widen.
Myanmar’s rich diversity should be a source of strength and growth, not division, and those best placed to influence its economic future should engage accordingly.
The country’s fragmentation is further complicating geopolitical rivalries and undermining foreign projects in the country.
Rakhine State remains a flashpoint, with ongoing conflict deepening intercommunal tensions in one of Myanmar’s poorest yet most strategic regions as a gateway to the Indian Ocean.
Protection of all communities as well as addressing the root causes of the Rohingya crisis are essential to any inclusive political solution.
I welcome initiatives including last month’s High-Level Conference at the General Assembly proposed by Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, which sought to maintain international attention on the plight of the Rohingya and other minorities in Myanmar.
The sad truth is nearly half Myanmar’s young people want to leave their country. The surge in drug manufacture and trafficking, arms trafficking, cybercrime and the proliferation of criminal networks already impact the wider region.
This is not only a national tragedy but must also be a global concern.
The people of Myanmar deserve our sustained attention, unified resolve, and commitment to peace, justice, and human dignity.
To this end, my unwavering approach will be to do all I can through personal dialogue, advocacy and persuasion and through the convening power of the Office of Special Envoy to promote a Myanmar-led, sustainable, and inclusive political solution.