Myanmar ‘risks becoming a forgotten crisis’, UN envoy warns

Julie Bishop made the comments on Tuesday in her first address to a UN General Assembly committee since being named to the position in April.

Myanmar’s military, which seized power in a 2021 coup, has faced intensified fighting for the past year from armed groups across the Southeast Asian nation, especially an alliance of ethnic rebel groups.

“Myanmar actors must move beyond the current zero-sum mentality. There can be little progress on addressing the needs of the people while armed conflict continues across the country,” Bishop said.

“Any pathway to reconciliation requires an end to violence, accountability and unfettered access for the UN and its partners,” especially marginalised groups such as the mostly Muslim ethnic Rohingya, she added.

“The Myanmar conflict risks becoming a forgotten crisis. The people of Myanmar, having suffered so much, deserve better.”