UN chief appoints former Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop as UN special envoy for Myanmar

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed former Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Friday as his special envoy for Myanmar, a post that has been vacant for 10 months as the country's conflict escalated into the worst violence since the military takeover in 2021.

Bishop will replace Noeleen Heyzer, a former UN undersecretary-general for Singapore who left after 20 months at the end of her contract in June 2023. In a grim assessment to the UN General Assembly before leaving, Heyzer said the impact of the military takeover has been "devastating," with violence continuing "at an alarming scale." The nationwide armed conflict in Myanmar began after the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and suppressed widespread nonviolent protests that sought a return to democratic rule.

Thousands of young people fled to jungles and mountains in remote border areas as a result of the military's suppression and made common cause with ethnic guerrilla forces battle-hardened by decades of combat with the army in pursuit of autonomy.

Despite its great advantage in armaments and manpower, the military has been unable to quell the resistance movement. Over the past five months, the army has been routed in northern Shan state, is conceding swaths of territory in Rakhine state in the west, and is under growing attack elsewhere.

Assistant Secretary-General for political affairs Khaled Khiari told the UN Security Council on Thursday that the intensifying conflict is having a devastating impact on human rights, fundamental freedoms and basic needs of millions of people — as well as "alarming spillover effects" in the region.

"The civilian toll keeps rising" amid reports of indiscriminate bombing by Myanmar's armed forces and artillery shelling by various parties, Khiari said.

In announcing Bishop's appointment, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said she "brings extensive political, legal, management and senior leadership experience to the role." Bishop served as Australia's foreign minister from 2013-2018 and previously held other Cabinet positions. She was a member of the Australian Parliament from 1998 to 2019 and is currently chancellor of the Australian National University.

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