Latest news with #JusticeforMyanmar
The Independent
04-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Thailand ignores protests to welcome Myanmar's junta leader
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing's military junta seized power after overthrowing the government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. He had made a few trips outside Myanmar before, other than to Russia and China. Shunned by much of the West and isolated with sanctions, Gen Hlaing arrived in Bangkok for a three-day summit of the Bay of Bengal nations that include India and Thailand. Protesters raised banners declaring 'We Do Not Welcome Murderer Min Aung Hlaing' near the hotel where the summit was taking place. His visit also drew condemnation from international rights forums and Myanmarese opposition groups. The National Unity Government, NUG, established by elected lawmakers barred from taking their seats in the parliament by the junta, condemned Gen Hlaing's presence at the summit claiming he did not have the legitimacy to represent Myanmar. 'Allowing the junta leader and his representatives to participate in regional and international forums risks legitimising an illegal regime,' the NUG said in a statement. The Justice for Myanmar campaign group said it was 'deplorable' that Thailand had invited him to a major summit. 'This legitimises and emboldens a military junta that the people of Myanmar have been resisting for over four years,' Yadanar Maung, a spokesperson for the group, said in a statement. His visit came as the UN human rights office accused the junta of limiting crucial humanitarian aid in many areas devastated by last week's earthquake. Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said there was a catastrophic humanitarian situation in earthquake-hit areas, especially those outside the military's control. The death toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest to rock the country in a century, climbed to 3,145 on Friday, with more than 4,500 injured and nearly 200 still missing, the junta said. Many areas were still waiting for rescue teams to reach, suggesting the death toll was unlikely to be accurate. The general said he planned to discuss ways that other countries could help Myanmar with relief operations. On the sidelines of the summit, the general held meetings with Thailand's premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, with recovery from the quake a common topic. Mr Modi called for the ongoing three-week post-earthquake ceasefire in the country of 55 million people to be made permanent, an Indian foreign ministry spokesman said. "Political resolution to the conflict is the only way forward, starting with inclusive and credible elections," spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X. On Thursday, as Gen Hlaing landed in Bangkok, his military launched multiple airstrikes in Kachin and Karenni states and Sagaing region, breaching the temporary ceasefire with rebel fighters, according to the Kachin Independence Army rebel group. The junta announced a ceasefire on Wednesday until 22 April with the condition that it would still undertake measures if rebel groups sought to damage communication lines, mobilise forces or take new territory. The UN's human rights office said there had been nearly 60 attacks after the earthquake, including 16 since the temporary ceasefire was announced on Wednesday. "I urge a halt to all military operations and for the focus to be on assisting those impacted by the quake, as well as ensuring unhindered access to humanitarian organizations that are ready to support," High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said. "I hope this terrible tragedy can be a turning point for the country towards an inclusive political solution." The military was under pressure to declare a ceasefire after its decision to launch airstrikes within hours of the earthquake hitting drew widespread condemnation. It was also accused of impeding the flow of aid to the affected areas. 'Min Aung Hlaing is grandstanding with Asian leaders in Bangkok following a devastating earthquake because he does not care about Myanmar's people,' Elaine Pearson, Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said. 'What he cares about is garnering some legitimacy through high-level visits because ever since the February 2021 coup he has been rightly ostracised by most of the international community.' The earthquake also caused destruction in Bangkok, the venue of the summit. At least 22 people died, 35 were injured and many trapped under a high-rise building that collapsed in the city.
Washington Post
11-03-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Activist groups urge UN probe of its Myanmar envoy after report alleges ties to Chinese companies
BANGKOK — Activist groups are calling for the United Nations to investigate its special envoy to Myanmar over possible conflicts of interest, after a report detailed her consulting company's alleged ties to Chinese mining and construction companies with interests in the country. Justice for Myanmar wrote to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres following a report in Australia's The Saturday Paper outlining what it said were Julie Bishop's links to Chinese state-owned companies that operate in Myanmar. Since then, multiple other groups have joined the call for a probe.
Al Jazeera
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
UN urged to probe Myanmar envoy Julie Bishop over alleged China firms ties
The United Nations is facing calls to investigate its special envoy on Myanmar, Julie Bishop, over alleged ties between her consulting firm and Chinese mining and construction companies with interests in the Southeast Asian country. Justice for Myanmar, a prominent advocacy group, has sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, citing a report by Australia's The Saturday Paper that detailed Bishop's alleged connections to Chinese state-owned firms. By Tuesday, a number of other activist groups had also joined the call for an investigation. The links to Chinese and other companies operating in Myanmar create 'unacceptable conflicts of interest that must be fully investigated', Justice for Myanmar wrote to Guterres. The group urged the UN chief to investigate Bishop's 'business activities, consider the appropriateness of her continued U.N. engagement, and disclose the findings'. Bishop, a former Australian foreign minister and current chancellor of Australian National University, has not publicly addressed the allegations. She was named UN envoy to Myanmar in April. In a statement sent to The Australian newspaper, Bishop's company said it was 'a private-advisory firm engaged to provide strategic analysis and guidance'. It added that it 'does not take fiduciary or executive roles, nor does it provide legal, corporate or financial advice' and that 'any potential or actual conflicts are declared and vetted.' Myanmar civil war Myanmar, embroiled in a civil war since the military ousted Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government in 2021, relies heavily on Chinese-backed mining and construction projects for revenue. China is also a key supplier of weapons to Myanmar's military rulers. In its letter, Justice for Myanmar argued that Bishop's ties to companies with interests in the country undermine her role as the UN envoy, particularly given her mandate to engage with civil society. 'The loss of trust of Myanmar civil society is a critical issue for the special envoy's position,' Yadanar Maung, the group's spokesperson, told The Associated Press news agency. According to The Saturday Paper, Bishop's firm has advised Melbourne-based Energy Transition Minerals, a rare earths company with significant Chinese backing, including from Shenghe Resources, a partially state-owned firm believed to source rare earths from Myanmar.
Al Arabiya
11-03-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Activist groups urge UN probe of its Myanmar envoy after alleged ties to Chinese companies
Activist groups are calling for the UN to investigate its special envoy to Myanmar over possible conflicts of interest after a report detailed her consulting company's alleged ties to Chinese mining and construction companies with interests in the country. Justice for Myanmar wrote to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres following a report in Australia's The Saturday Paper outlining what it said were Julie Bishop's links to Chinese state-owned companies that operate in Myanmar. Since then, multiple other groups have joined the call for a probe. Bishop, a former Australian foreign minister and current chancellor of the Australian National University, has not commented on those links. There was no response to a query sent to her consulting company. Myanmar, also known as Burma, is embroiled in a civil war where the country's military rulers are fighting pro-democracy and other forces. China is one of the major suppliers of weapons to the military, which seized power from democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. Chinese-backed mining and construction projects are also major sources of revenue for Myanmar's military government. 'Bishop's links to Chinese and other companies with interests in Myanmar create unacceptable conflicts of interest that must be fully investigated,' Justice for Myanmar wrote to Guterres. 'The loss of trust of Myanmar civil society is a critical issue for the special envoy's position since her mandate involves engagement with civil society among other relevant stakeholders,' the group's spokesperson Yadanar Muang told The Associated Press on Tuesday. In a statement sent to The Australian newspaper, Bishop's company said it 'was a private-advisory firm engaged to provide strategic analysis and guidance.' It added that it 'does not take fiduciary or executive roles nor does it provide legal, corporate or financial advice' and that 'any potential or actual conflicts are declared and vetted.' Guterres' office confirmed it had received Justice for Myanmar's letter but did not comment. Australia's Foreign Ministry directed questions to the UN, noting that Bishop is not a government employee. The Australian National University stressed that Bishop's role as chancellor was part-time and non-executive. 'Chancellors generally have interests outside of their university and as long as these don't conflict with the university's interests they are free to pursue these,' the university said in a statement emailed to the AP. Bishop was appointed Guterres' envoy to Myanmar last April. The Saturday Paper said her consulting firm was hired as a strategic advisor on a Greenland mining project by Melbourne-based Energy Transition Minerals, a rare earths company with significant backing from China's Shenghe Resources and extensive commercial ties to the Chinese Communist Party. ETM is currently involved in a lawsuit against Greenland and Denmark seeking billions in compensation over Greenland's ban on uranium mining that came after the company had already started developing a project there. The project stalled after the ban in 2021. 'Shenghe Resources is a partially state-owned rare earths company and is believed to source rare earths from Myanmar, which is the largest supplier of heavy rare earths to China,' Justice for Myanmar said. 'Another ETM partner is the state-owned China Communications Construction Company, which is active in Myanmar,' the group said. Bishop also has business ties to Australian companies involved in current and past mining and energy projects in Myanmar, Justice for Myanmar said. Justice for Myanmar urged Guterres to investigate Bishop's business activities, consider the appropriateness of her continued UN engagement, and disclose the findings of the probe.
Arab Times
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Groups urge UN probe of Myanmar envoy after report alleges ties to Chinese companies
BANGKOK, March 11, (AP): Activist groups are calling for the United Nations to investigate its special envoy to Myanmar over possible conflicts of interest, after a report detailed her consulting company's alleged ties to Chinese mining and construction companies with interests in the country. Justice for Myanmar wrote to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres following a report in Australia's The Saturday Paper outlining what it said were Julie Bishop's links to Chinese state-owned companies that operate in Myanmar. Since then, multiple other groups have joined the call for a probe. Bishop, a former Australian foreign minister and current chancellor of the Australian National University, has not commented on those links. There was no response to a query sent to her consulting company. Myanmar, also known as Burma, is embroiled in a civil war where the country's military rulers are fighting pro-democracy and other forces. China is one of the major suppliers of weapons to the military, which seized power from democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. Chinese-backed mining and construction projects are also a major sources of revenue for Myanmar's military government. Bishop's links to Chinese and other companies with interests in Myanmar create "unacceptable conflicts of interest that must be fully investigated,' Justice for Myanmar wrote to Guterres. "The loss of trust of Myanmar civil society is a critical issue for the special envoy's position since her mandate involves engagement with civil society, among other relevant stakeholders,' the group's spokesperson Yadanar Muang told The Associated Press on Tuesday. In a statement sent to The Australian newspaper, Bishop's company said it was "a private-advisory firm engaged to provide strategic analysis and guidance." It added that it "does not take fiduciary or executive roles, nor does it provide legal, corporate or financial advice' and that "any potential or actual conflicts are declared and vetted.' Guterres' office confirmed it had received Justice for Myanmar's letter but did not comment. Australia's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the Australian National University stressed that Bishop's role as chancellor was part time and non-executive.
