U.N. special envoy for Myanmar to step down: U.N. chief spokesman

The United Nations special envoy for Myanmar will step down in June, a spokesman for the U.N. chief told AFP Wednesday, after an 18-month tenure in which she was criticised by the junta and its opponents.

The United Nations special envoy for Myanmar will step down in June, a spokesman for the U.N. chief told AFP Wednesday, after an 18-month tenure in which she was criticised by the junta and its opponents.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power in February 2021, ending a brief democratic experiment and sparking clashes with ethnic rebel groups and anti-coup fighters.

Diplomatic efforts led by the U.N. and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc to resolve the crisis have so far failed to stem the bloodshed unleashed by the coup.

Noeleen Heyzer, who was named envoy by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in October 2021, "will conclude her assignment on 12 June" when her contract ends, Stephane Dujarric said.

Mr. Guterres "is thankful to Ms. Heyzer for her tireless efforts on behalf of peace and the people of Myanmar," the spokesman said, adding a new envoy would be appointed.

Ms. Heyzer, a Singaporean sociologist, was tasked with urging the Myanmar junta to engage in political dialogue with its opponents and end a bloody crackdown it launched after toppling the government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

She visited the Southeast Asian nation last August and met junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and other top military officials in a move criticised by rights groups as lending legitimacy to the generals.