A Brief History of the UN’s Failed Missions in Myanmar

By The Irrawaddy 22 August 2022

Final week’s assembly between UN particular envoy Noeleen Heyzer and the Myanmar junta chief ended with none breakthrough, changing into yet one more failed UN mission to the nation, one in every of many involving the world physique’s diplomats and navy rulers of Myanmar since 1990.

Fairly, regime chief Min Aung Hlaing took the assembly as a possibility to personally vent his discontent on the UN, in addition to to lecture the envoy, in response to a transcript of the assembly the regime launched on Friday in response to the envoy’s assertion, which the regime mentioned was “one-sided” and “created misunderstanding about Myanmar.” In her assertion after the assembly on Aug. 17, the envoy outlined the dialogue and mentioned the assembly didn’t in any manner confer legitimacy on the regime.

In response to minutes of the assembly, Min Aung Hlaing expressed his displeasure on the world physique’s refusal to acknowledge the regime’s consultant, amongst different issues. He additionally advised a barefaced lie, claiming that “Myanmar has gained stability”, which he mentioned made it laborious for him to know why the UN has issued many statements expressing considerations in regards to the nation. He advised Heyzer that it might be extra acceptable to make feedback on Myanmar solely after gaining an understanding of the actual state of affairs within the nation, and criticized her resolution to take a flight from Yangon to Naypyitaw, saying she missed a possibility to see the state of affairs on the bottom by touring in a automotive. Plus, contradicting mounting proof, he denied his troops had been torching civilian houses.

In brief, the envoy returned from Myanmar barehanded after enduring an hours-long dressing-down on numerous matters from Min Aung. She was given a low-grade reception and utilized by the junta to promote its legitimacy, one thing it has been internationally denied. She outdid her predecessors, nonetheless, by prompting the regime to launch a transcript of the assembly, which was unprecedented.

The assembly between the UN particular envoy and Myanmar regime chief was the UN’s newest try and mediate peace within the nation, which has been consumed by battle sparked by the navy coup final yr.

But it surely failed, simply as all of the world physique’s earlier efforts within the nation did, particularly these coping with the nation’s navy rulers over the previous greater than 30 years.

The UN has appointed a collection of envoys on Myanmar since 1990, when the nation was underneath navy rule after the failed pro-democracy rebellion in 1988.

It began with Japanese diplomat Sadako Ogata, who was appointed as an impartial professional by the UN Fee on Human Rights.

Her successors included Malaysian businessman Razali Ismail and Nigerian diplomat Ibrahim Gambari, who tried to create a dialogue between then junta chief Than Shwe and detained opposition chief Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Razali, who served from 2000 to 2006, made 12 visits and Gambari traveled to Myanmar a minimum of 4 occasions. However each didn’t deliver tangible outcomes.

When the Malaysian diplomat stop in 2006, he advised The Irrawaddy, “It’s best to conclude that I’ve failed.” A number of the UN envoys introduced with them conflicts of curiosity that tainted the general public’s notion of them. Rumors circulated that some UN envoys took “bins of presents” from the generals. Some Myanmar individuals referred to as Gambari “kyauk yu pyan,” which suggests “one who takes gems after which leaves,” in response to The Related Press.

A Malaysian firm headed by Razali, IRIS Corp, even clinched a enterprise take care of the navy authorities, promoting high-tech passports to the regime.

Then got here Heyzer’s predecessor Christine Schraner Burgener. In September final yr, shortly earlier than her time period because the UN Secretary Normal’s particular envoy on Myanmar was to finish, the Swiss diplomat tweeted that her efforts to facilitate an “all-inclusive dialogue within the curiosity of the individuals weren’t welcomed by the navy.” In different phrases, she confessed that her months-long makes an attempt, within the wake of the takeover, to steer the coup leaders in Naypytaw to have interaction in dialogue to settle the political and social turmoil attributable to the coup had failed.

Heyzer started her duties in December 2021. In contrast to her predecessor, she was invited by Min Aung Hlaing to go to the nation. However like all of the envoys earlier than her, she failed the Myanmar individuals.

Her failure highlights one of many UN’s historic issues: its lack of muscle, particularly in coping with such a repressive nation. It has now been 32 years that the UN has failed the Myanmar individuals by sending one envoy after one other. It should take harsher approaches to the regime. If not, the world physique will merely be a factor of ridicule, not solely amongst Myanmar individuals however to Min Aung Hlaing himself.

Within the wake of the assembly, the Particular Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M), a bunch of former UN consultants on the nation, urged Heyzer to have interaction extra with Myanmar’s parallel Nationwide Unity Authorities (NUG) as a substitute. Whereas assembly with Min Aung Hlaing might have been important to the particular envoy in making an attempt to fulfil her mandate, it mentioned, “It’s clear that nothing of significance will come of it.”

SAC-M member Yanghee Lee, a former UN particular rapporteur on Myanmar, mentioned Heyzer should now be trying ahead to formally partaking with the NUG, which was shaped by the elected lawmakers of the ousted Nationwide League for Democracy and their ethnic allies, and instructions the loyalty of the overwhelming majority of Myanmar individuals.

“She should go the additional mile to discover a resolution acceptable to the peoples of Myanmar,” Lee mentioned.