BANGKOK: Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday (Apr 25) urged the Myanmar military to halt violence in the conflict-racked country and engage with its opponents to end the bloody crisis.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in February 2021, sparking fighting across swathes of the country and tanking the economy.
Diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis have stalled, with the junta ignoring international criticism of its brutal crackdown on dissent and refusing to engage with its opponents.
The military “must take the first steps”, Ban said following a two-day trip to Myanmar where he met junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and senior military officials.
Ban also said the National Unity Government (NUG) – a shadow administration dominated by lawmakers from Suu Kyi’s party which is working to overturn the coup – must be part of any “lasting solution”.
The military has shown no willingness to engage with its opponents, including the NUG, which it has designated as a “terrorist” organisation.
Rights groups accuse the junta of massacres, torching villages and using air and artillery strikes to punish communities suspected of harbouring its opponents.
A military airstrike on a village in a resistance hotspot this month killed more than 170 people, according to media and locals.
Source: CNA
