Noeleen Heyzer held face-to-face talks with the Army Chief of Staff, but was unable to meet jailed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The United Nations special envoy for Myanmar called for an end to violence and the release of all political prisoners during her first visit to the troubled country since her appointment in 2014. last.
The military took power in February 2021, hours before the country’s new parliament began, arresting elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her civilian government.
Since then, Aung San Suu Kyi has been tried and jailed on a variety of charges and faces many more charges, while thousands of anti-coup activists have been arrested. According to the Association to Support Political Prisoners, about 2,215 people have been killed in the military’s crackdown on opponents.
At the end of last month, the military regime execution of four political activists In Myanmar, the death penalty was introduced for the first time in more than 30 years. Among the dead was Phyo Zeya Thaw, a former lawmaker from Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party.
United Nations special envoy Noeleen Heyzer met coup leader Min Aung Hlaing on Wednesday and Heyzer’s office said she had “directly urged” him to “impose a moratorium on all executions.” Future”. She also called for an immediate end to the violence and the release of all political prisoners, including former adviser Aung San Suu Kyi. Sean Turnell, an Australian economist.
United Nations Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said that while Heyzer asked to meet Aung San Suu Kyi, she was unable to do so.
He described the meeting between Heyzer and the commander-in-chief of the army as “a good discussion” and said the UN would see if her key demands were fulfilled. The UN will “continue to advance those points,” he added.
Diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis, led mainly by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), have made little progress, with the generals refusing to make a move. peace plan that was agreed last year.
Even when Heyzer was in Myanmar, a junta spokesman attacked the 10-member group for exclude its generals from gatherings in the areaaccuses it of caving in the face of “external pressure”.
Several members of ASEAN, which Myanmar joined in 1997, have pointed out recently that the bloc could be forced to go further if the military continues to stagnate.
Speaking at a regular press conference, spokesman Zaw Min Tun highly appreciated the actions of ASEAN.
Zaw Min Tun said: “If a seat representing a country is left vacant, it should not be labeled as an ASEAN summit.
“What they want is for us to meet and talk to the terrorists,” he said, using the general label for pro-democracy movements that have taken up arms against the military.
During his meeting with Heyzer, the military-appointed foreign minister called on the world body to “constructively and pragmatically consider its approach to cooperation with Myanmar,” according to a statement.
Singaporean sociologist Heyzer was appointed last year by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, replacing Swiss diplomat Christine Schraner Burgenerwho have been blocked from visiting Myanmar.
Schraner Burgener has called on the United Nations to take “very strong measures” against the military and has been the target of frequent attacks on Myanmar’s state-backed media.
State broadcaster MRTV reported on Heyzer’s visit, saying the envoy and Min Aung Hlaing exchanged views on promoting trust and cooperation between Myanmar and the United Nations. It did not provide any details about the talks, which took place in Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw.
Heyzer stressed in his departure statement from Myanmar that “the involvement of the United Nations does not confer legitimacy of any kind” on the military’s administration.
“The people of Myanmar have the right to democracy and self-determination, without fear and unwillingness,” she said.
