The United Nations Special Envoy’s recent visit to Myanmar is part of a process that the UN feels its representatives need to go through in attempts to reason with the Myanmar military generals who illegally grabbed power in a coup in February 2021.
But what is clear, as can be seen in our cover story for Mizzima Weekly this week, is that junta leader Min Aung Hlaing is spinning the UN envoy around his little finger.
UN Special Envoy Noeleen Heyzer would like to think she came with the weight of the UN nation states behind her. Yet the reality is the senior general sought fit to publicly criticize and dismiss the UN’s peace mission and engage in superficial chit-chat.
The world needs to face facts. From day one, the Myanmar military regime has been attempting to deceive the international community including the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and United Nations and the meeting with the UN Special Envoy was its latest chance to “show off” on the international stage.
No doubt – according to the press release issued by the UN Special Envoy’s office – Ms Heyzer thought she was bringing up and saying the right things, calling for peace, dialogue and a return to democracy, all on the face of it appearing desirable. But she is dealing with a brutal regime that has demonstrated it has no morals and is adept at trying to spin the type of lies that would embarrass a ten-year-old.
The people of Myanmar do not trust the regime at all. Period. They do not believe the UN, or ASEAN for that matter, will be able to achieve anything good for them.
The regime used the meeting as a photo opportunity, and put out their own spin, claiming they were pursuing peace and seeking to adhere to a democratic process – despite the fact that they have castrated the country’s leading political party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), and incarcerated its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
The people of Myanmar can see through the charade. They understand the brutality of the regime with their scorched-earth policies running rampant in Myanmar’s heartland, its jailing and torture of political opponents, and its execution of political activists on death row. This pattern did not start 18
months ago, following the coup. It started 60 years ago when General Ne Win and his soldiers trampled on the people’s democratic dream.
The people of Myanmar know they have to defeat the regime using all means possible, once and for all, with or without the support of the UN, ASEAN or the international community. They have no other choice.
And they recognize – judging from the comments on social media – that the UN Special Envoy is pursuing “Mission Impossible” trying to squeeze a peace deal out of the Myanmar generals.
This is a war for the heart of Myanmar. And, judging by the views many of the people, this is do or die.
