The United Nations’ special envoy for Myanmar has spoken at the General Assembly. Julie Bishop says years of conflict have turned the country into a hive of international crime.
Julie Bishop, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar, said, “We must continue to find common ground amid the chaos, so a peace process can begin.”
The former Australian foreign minister was speaking on Tuesday in New York. Bishop revealed she has met junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing, without going into detail. She also says she’s spoken with pro-democratic forces and ethnic armed groups.
The military stormed to power in a coup more than three years ago, and the country has been mired in conflict ever since. The UN says three million people have been displaced. Bishop says military airstrikes and landmines are now driving a surge in civilian casualties.
She also warned Myanmar is spiraling into a state of increasing lawlessness, rife with illegal arms sales, drugs and human trafficking. Bishop says the conflict is at risk of becoming a “forgotten crisis”.