NAYPYITAW —
The Burma government will dispatch a special envoy to be stationed in New York
where the UN is headquartered to explain the Arakan issue to the international
community, said U Kyaw Zeya, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
He mentioned
the plan in response to the reporter’s question of The Irrawaddy during the
Asean 50thanniversary celebration in Naypyitaw on Monday.
“We can’t
shift the responsibility to each other. We have difficulties handling this
issue but we’ll try to achieve success by working together. Not only is our
foreign ministry but also other agencies are working to find a solution,” said
U Kyaw Zeya.
On July 24,
Daw Thandar, a well-known human rights activist and National League for
Democracy (NLD) lawmaker, submitted an emergency proposal to the Lower House to
condemn UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma Yanghee Lee’s
end-of-mission statement after concluding her recent visit to the country on
July 21.
Lee said she
was “disappointed to see the tactics applied by the previous government still
being used,” and that she would “strongly urge the government” to allow an
international independent body to investigate allegations of rights abuses
particularly in Arakan State, and in conflict regions in Burma at large.
Daw
Thandar’s proposal was unanimously approved by the parliament. Daw Pyone Kaythi
Naing, an NLD lawmaker from Shan State’s Kalaw, additionally proposed sending a
special envoy to the UN to counter international allegations and provide
briefings outlining Burma’s legislative perspective on the situation in Arakan
State.
She told the
correspondent of The Irrawaddy that Burma’s government was only able to respond
after international agencies make allegations, and that the government should
take the initiative to explain the situation to the UN first.
Daw Pyone
Kaythi Naing, who is also a member of the Lower House International Relations
Committee, has consistently promoted the idea of sending a special envoy to the
UN whenever there has been parliamentary debate on issues in Arakan State.
“The
government should send a special envoy—a respected figure with diplomatic
expertise—to the UN to counter it,” she added.
According to
sources from Arakan State, Burma Army troops in cooperation with local security
forces are conducting clearance operations in the Mayu Mountain Range, where
they claim that militants are hiding. “Clearance operations” carried out in the
area resulted in widespread accusations of human rights abuses committed by the
military.
The Burma
government should find a long-term solution, spur economic development, and
create education and job opportunities in Arakan State rather than isolating
communities, said political analyst U Tin Maung Than.