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Open letter: Special Envoy’s conflicts of interest signal urgent need for investigation and complete end of mandate

March 18, 2025/in Press Releases and Statements

To: United Nations Secretary-GeneralUnited Nations General Assembly Open letter: Special Envoy’s conflicts of interest signal urgent need for investigation and complete end of mandate 17 March 2025 We—the undersigned 290 Myanmar, regional, and international civil society organizations—call on United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to urgently open an investigation into conflicts of interest over the business […]

Myanmar children, monks among dozens killed in heavy airstrikes

March 18, 2025/in News

Attacks in Shan state and Mandalay region aimed at civilians, rebels say. Myanmar’s military killed 40 civilians, including Buddhist monks and children, in airstrikes in northern Myanmar as it tries to pound its enemies into submission, insurgents told Radio Free Asia on Monday. Myanmar’s rising toll of civilian casualties comes as a humanitarian crisis is […]

Open letter: Special Envoy’s conflicts of interest signal urgent need for investigation and complete end of mandate

March 18, 2025/in Press Releases and Statements

Myanmar children, monks among dozens killed in heavy airstrikes

March 18, 2025/in News

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Open letter: Special Envoy’s conflicts of interest signal urgent need for investigation and complete end of mandate

March 18, 2025/in Press Releases and Statements

To:

United Nations Secretary-General
United Nations General Assembly

Open letter: Special Envoy’s conflicts of interest signal urgent need for investigation and complete end of mandate

17 March 2025

We—the undersigned 290 Myanmar, regional, and international civil society organizations—call on United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to urgently open an investigation into conflicts of interest over the business activities of UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar Julie Bishop and make the findings public. We also call on the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to immediately end the mandate of the Special Envoy, and on the Secretary-General to assume a leadership role in addressing the crisis in Myanmar directly.

We are alarmed by the Special Envoy’s business activities and connections to the mining industry and Chinese state-owned companies with possible or confirmed commercial interests in Myanmar, including Shenghe Resources and China Communications Construction Company. Her involvement with Chinese state-owned companies raises serious concerns about the impartiality and independence required to engage with China as the Special Envoy on Myanmar. Such conflicts of interest actively endanger the human rights of the Myanmar people as China remains a top source of military support and false legitimacy for the illegal military junta. The Chinese government is evidently aiding and abetting the junta’s ongoing crimes against humanity and war crimes against the Myanmar people.

The UN’s response thus far is wholly unacceptable. As the appointing authority, the UN Secretary-General bears a significant responsibility to the people of Myanmar to ensure the integrity and impartiality of the Special Envoy. That the UN would allow the Special Envoy tasked with addressing the Myanmar crisis to continue given such blatant commercial interests that jeopardize the lives of the people of Myanmar, is unconscionable.

The Special Envoy’s conflicts of interest are the latest reminder that the UN’s decades of peace-brokering attempts through special envoys and “dialogues” have produced absolutely no meaningful, positive change for the people of Myanmar. Instead, this ongoing approach continues to embolden the junta to commit atrocity crimes with complete impunity and harm the people of Myanmar. Given the outdated and ineffectual mandate, civil society organizations have previously called for the UN to abolish the position. The UN must transform its destructive approach into principled, ethical, and concerted efforts that fully respect the human rights of the Myanmar people and support their collective will to dismantle military tyranny.

This moment must finally mark the end of the UN’s relegation of responsibility on the crisis in Myanmar. We urge the UNGA to immediately revoke the mandate of the Special Envoy, particularly given the current Special Envoy’s conflicts of interest that jeopardize the lives of the Myanmar people.

We call on the Secretary-General to immediately open an investigation regarding these conflicts of interest and publish the findings. The Secretary-General must urgently take the lead to end the military junta’s terror campaign, ensure accountability for the perpetrators under international law, and robustly support the Myanmar people’s revolution to build sustainable peace and an inclusive federal democracy.

For more information, please contact:

Mulan, Blood Money Campaign; bloodmoneycampaign21@protonmail.com
Naw Aung, Defend Myanmar Democracy; communication@defendmyanmardemocracy.org
Naw Cherry, Karen Peace Support Network; kpsn14@gmail.com
Khin Ohmar, Progressive Voice; info@progressive-voice.org

Signed by 290 civil society organizations, including 41 organizations that have chosen not to disclose their names:

5/ of Zaya State Strike
8888 Generation (New Zealand)
A-Yar-Taw People Strike
Action Committee for Democracy Development (ACDD)
Action Committee of Basic Education Students (ACBES)
Ah Nah Podcast – Conversations with Myanmar
All Arakan Students’ & Youths’ Congress – AASYC
All Aung Myay Thar San Schools Strike Force
All Burma Democratic Front in New Zealand
All Burma Federation of Student Unions (Monywa District)
Alliance of Students’ Union – Yangon (ASU-Yangon)
Anti-Junta Alliance Yangon – AJAY
Anti-junta Forces Coordination Committee (Mandalay)
Arakan Youth Peace Network – AYPN
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
Asian Health Institute (AHI)
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP)
Association of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters (HRDP)
Association Suisse-Birmanie
Athan—Freedom of Expression Activist Organization
Auckland Kachin Community NZ
Auckland Zomi Community
Aung San Suu Kyi Park Norway
Ayeyarwaddy West Development Organisation (AWDO), Nagphe
Ayeyarwaddy West Development Organisation (AWDO), Magway
Ayeyawady Youth Network (AYN)
Basic Education General Strike Committee (BEGSC)
Basic Education Worker Unions – Steering Committee (BEWU-SC)
Blood Money Campaign (BMC)
Boat People SOS (BPSOS)
Burma Action Ireland
Burma Campaign UK (BCUK)
Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN)
Burma Task Force
Burmese Community Group (Manawatu, NZ)
Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK)
Burmese Rohingya Welfare Organisation New Zealand
Burmese Women’s Union (BWU)
Campaign for a New Myanmar
CDM Medical Network (CDMMN)
Chanmyatharzi Township People’s Strike
Chaung Oo Township Youth Strike Committee
Chin Community in Norway
Chin Community of Auckland
Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO)
Chindwin (West) Villages Women Strike
Civil Information Network (CIN)
Civil Rights Defenders (CRD)
Civil Society Organizations Coordination Committee (Monywa)
Co-operative University Mandalay Students’ Strike
Coalition Strike Committee – Dawei
CRPH & NUG Supporters Ireland
CRPH Funding Ireland
CRPH, NUG Support Team Germany
Daung Sitthe Strike
Dawei (Ashaetaw) Women Strike
Dawei Youths Revolutionary Movement Strike Committee
Defend Myanmar Democracy (DMD)
Democracy Youths Myanmar
Democracy, Peace and Women’s Organization
Democratic Party for a New Society, Norway
Depayin Township Revolution Steering Committee
Depayin Women Strike
Doh Atu – Ensemble pour le Myanmar
Educational Initiatives Prague
Equality Myanmar (EQMM)
Ethnic Youth General Strike Committee (Mandalay)
ETOs Watch Coalition
Federal Corner
Federal Myanmar Benevolence Group (NZ)
Former Political Prisoners and New Generation Group – Monywa
Free Burma Campaign (South Africa) (FBC(SA))
Friends Against Dictatorship (FAD)
Future Light Center (FLC)
Gangaw Women Strike
General Strike Collaboration Committee (GSCC)
General Strike Committee of Basic and Higher Education (GSCBHE)
General Strike Coordination Body (GSCB)
Generation Wave (GW)
Generations’ Solidarity Coalition of Nationalities (GSCN)
Group for Democracy in Myanmar (The Netherlands)
HTY Scout Channel
Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM)
Human Rights Promoter
India for Myanmar
Industries Strike
Info Birmanie
Information & Scout News (Hlaing)
Institute for Asian Democracy
International Association, Myanmar-Switzerland (IAMS)
International Campaign for the Rohingya
Italia-Birmania.Insieme
Justice & Equality Focus (JEF)
Justice For All
Justice For Myanmar (JFM)
Justice Movement for Community-Innlay
K’cho Ethnic Association (Europe)
Kachin Association Norway
Kachin Student Union

Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT)
Kalay Township Strike Force
Kalay Women Strike
Kamayut Scout Channel
KantBaLu Strike Committee
Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN)
Karenni Human Rights Group (KnHRG)
Karenni Humanitarian Aid Initiative (KHAI)
Karenni National Women’s Organization (KNWO)
Karenni Society New Zealand
Kayan Rescue Committee (KRC)
Kayaw Women Association
Keng Tung Youth
Kyae Lak Myay
Kyain Seikgyi Spring Revolution Leading Committee
Kyauktada Strike Committee (KSC)
Latpadaung Region Strike Committee
Let’s Help Each Other (LHEO)
LGBT Alliance
LGBT Alliance Myanmar (Kalay Region)
LGBT Alliance Myanmar (Kyaukse Region)
LGBT Community Yangon
LGBT Union – Mandalay
Magway People’s Revolution Committee
Magway Region Human Rights Network
Maharaungmyay Township People’s Strike
Mandalar University Students’ Strike
Mandalay Alliance Coalition Strike
Mandalay Medical Family (MFM)
Mandalay Strike Force (MSF)
Mandalay Women Strike
Mandalay Youth Strike
Mandalay-based People’s Strike
Mandalay-Based University Students’ Unions (MDY_SUs)
MATA Sagaing
Mayangone News
MayMyo Strike Force
Metta Campaign Mandalay
Monywa LGBT Strike
Monywa People’s Strike Steering Committee
Monywa Women Strike
Monywa-Amyint Road Strike Leading Committee
Monywa-Amyint Road Women Strike
Multi-Religions Strike
Mya Taung Strike
Myanmar Accountability Project (MAP)
Myanmar Action Group Denmark
Myanmar anti-military coup movement in New Zealand
Myanmar Catholic Community In Norway
Myanmar Community Group Christchurch New Zealand
Myanmar Community Group Dunedin New Zealand
Myanmar Community in Norway
Myanmar Engineers – New Zealand
Myanmar Gonye (New Zealand)
Myanmar Hindu Union
Myanmar Institute of Information Technology Students’ Strike
Myanmar Labor Alliance (MLA)
Myanmar People Alliance (Shan State)
Myanmar Students’ Union in New Zealand
Myaung Youth Network
MyaYar Knowledge Tree
Myingyan Civilian Movement Committee
Nelson Myanmar Community Group New Zealand
Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma (ND-Burma)
Network of University Student Unions – Monywa
New Myanmar Foundation
New Power Generation
New Zealand Campaign for Myanmar
New Zealand Doctors for NUG
New Zealand Karen Association
New Zealand Zo Community Inc.
NLD Organization Committee (International) Norway
No Business With Genocide
12 Basic Education Branch High School (Maharaungmyay) Students’ Union
NOK Information & Scout Echo
North Dagon & East Dagon News
Norway Matu Community
Norway Rvwang Community
OCTOPUS (Youth Organization)
Overseas Mon Association. New Zealand
Pale Township People’s Strike Steering Committee
Peace and Social Justice Group
Progressive Muslim Youth Association (PMYA)
Progressive Voice (PV)
Pwintphyu Development Organisation (PDO)
Pyi Gyi Tagon Strike Force
Pyithu Gonye (New Zealand)
Queers of Burma Alternative (QBA)
Representative Committee of University Teacher Associations (RC of UTAs)
Rohingya Action Ireland
Rohingya Community in Norway
Rohingya Progressive Network
Rvwang Community Association New Zealand
Samgha Sammaga-Mandalay
Save Myanmar Fundraising Group (New Zealand)
SEA Junction
Seinpann Strike
Shan Community (New Zealand)
Shan MATA
Shwe Pan Kone People’s Strike Steering Committee
Sisters2Sisters
Sitt Nyein Pann Foundation
South Dagon Scouting Infos (SDG)
Southern Dragon Myanmar
Southern Initiative
Southern Youth Development Organization (SYDO)
Sujata Sisters Group (NZ)
Support Group for Democracy in Myanmar ( the Netherlands)
Synergy – Social Harmony Organization
Tamar Institute of Development
Tamwe Nway Oo Channel
Taze Strike Committee
Taze Women Strike
Thaketa & Dawbon Scout Channel
Thakhin Kodaw Mhine Peace Network (Monywa)
Thayat Chaung Women Strike
The 88 Generation Peace and Open Society (Monywa)
The Mekong Butterfly
Triangle Women Organization
Twitter Team for Revolution (TTFR)
S. Campaign for Burma
Union of Karenni State Youth (UKSY)
University Students’ Unions Alumni Force
Volunteers in Myanmar
Wetlet Revolution Leading Committee
Wetlet Township Women Strike
White Coat Society Yangon (WCSY)
Women Advocacy Coalition – Myanmar (WAC-M)
Women Alliance Burma (WAB)
Women Lead Resource Center (WLRC)
Women’s League of Burma (WLB)
Yadanabon University Students’ Union (YDNBUSU)
Yangon Deaf Group
Yangon Women Strike
Yasakyo Township People`s Strike Steering Committee
Yinmarpin and Salingyi All Villages Strike Committee
Youth Empowerment
Youth for Democratization of Myanmar (UDM)
Youth Scout For Democracy (YSD)
Zomi Christian Fellowship of Norway
Zomi Community Norway
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Myanmar children, monks among dozens killed in heavy airstrikes

March 18, 2025/in News

Attacks in Shan state and Mandalay region aimed at civilians, rebels say.

Myanmar’s military killed 40 civilians, including Buddhist monks and children, in airstrikes in northern Myanmar as it tries to pound its enemies into submission, insurgents told Radio Free Asia on Monday.

Myanmar’s rising toll of civilian casualties comes as a humanitarian crisis is looming and a major food aid agency announced it will have to cut support because of a funding shortfall.

Myanmar has been engulfed by conflict since the military overthrew an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, with thousands of civilians killed, villages razed and some 3.5 million people displaced by war and natural disasters.

Forced onto the defensive by unprecedented opposition from young people from the majority Barmar community teaming up with ethnic minority insurgents, the military has increasingly turned to its air force to unleash devastation, often on civilian areas, rights groups and insurgents say.

“We can say they are purposefully attacking civilians,” said Lway Yay Oo, spokesperson for the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, an ethnic minority insurgent force in Shan state, which is on the border with China.

Junta airstrikes on the Sein Yadanar monastery in Shan state’s Nawnghkio town on Sunday, killed 13 civilians, including six monks, four of them young novices, said Lway Yay Oo.

Seventeen people were wounded in the air attack, 13 of them monks, she said, adding that the military was trying to force the TNLA back into peace talks that China, with extensive economic interests in Myanmar, is trying to broker.

The Myanmar army has a long record of trying to overcome insurgencies by undermining their civilian support, often by attacking villagers, rights investigators say.

Lway Yay Oo said there was no question the military was targeting civilians.

“They’re deliberately attacking religious buildings in Nawnghkio and they also bombed the hospital …. We’ve also seen that they’re burning and destroying homes.”

The spokesperson did not say anything about prospects for talks with the military, which is keen to roll back insurgent gains over the past year as it prepares for an election, due by January, which it hopes will bolster its legitimacy at home and abroad.

Myanmar’s military rarely releases information about the fighting, which has erupted in almost all corners of the country, and attempts by RFA to reach the junta spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, by telephone were not successful.

Blood on road to Mandalay

On Friday, a junta air attack on Let Pan Hla village, on a main road 70 kilometers (45 miles) north of Mandalay city, killed up to 27 people, according to a spokesperson for a pro-democracy insurgent force operating in the area.

“They attacked for no reason and deliberately targeted the public. They were targeting customers and vendors in a busy street near the village market,” said Mandalay People’s Defense Force spokesperson, who goes by the one name Osman.

Attacks in Shan state and Mandalay region aimed at civilians, rebels say. — Residents of Let Pan Hla village, north of Mandalay city, survey damage after a Myanmar military airstrike on March 14, 2025. (Mandalay People’s Defense Force)

The People’s Defense Force, or PDF, captured the area in July and junta forces have been on the attack ever since, he said.

The PDF commander, Soe Thu Yazaw, said in a social media post that six children were among the dead and many people were wounded.

“The bombing targeted people going about their daily activities at the market, so the number of injured is also high,” he said. “Long distance buses often stop in Let Pan Hla for food and a break, so it’s busy.”

The death and destruction from the fighting is compounding a dire humanitarian outlook in a country where the U.N. says a “staggering” 15.2 million people are unable to meet their minimum daily food needs and some 2.3 million people are facing emergency levels of hunger.

The U.N. food agency has warned that more than one million people will be cut off from its food assistance from April due to critical funding shortfalls.

“The impending cuts will have a devastating impact on the most vulnerable communities across the country, many of whom depend entirely on WFP’s support to survive,” Michael Dunford, representative and country director of the World Food Programme, said in a statement.

Internally displaced people in Rakhine state, where fighting has been particularly heavy, would be hard hit, the WFP said.

Aid agencies helping in Myanmar have been under pressure since a January order by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to freeze all global aid until a review was completed.

RFA News

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ND Burma

ND-Burma formed in 2004 in order to provide a way for Burma human rights organizations to collaborate on the human rights documentation process. The 13 ND-Burma member organizations seek to collectively use the truth of what communities in Burma have endured to advocate for justice for victims. ND-Burma trains local organizations in human rights documentation; coordinates members’ input into a common database using Martus, a secure open-source software; and engages in joint-advocacy campaigns.

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