A total of 290 civil society organizations (CSOs) from Myanmar and around the world have issued an open letter to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the UN General Assembly, urging an immediate investigation into potential conflicts of interest involving UN Special Envoy for Myanmar, Julie Bishop.
The organizations also demanded the immediate termination of Bishop’s mandate due to her alleged ties to Chinese state-owned companies operating in Myanmar.
Bishop, a former Australian foreign minister, was appointed as the UN Special Envoy on Myanmar in April last year.
Rights group Justice for Myanmar (JFM) reported on March 9 that Bishop is an advisor for Energy Transition Minerals (ETM), a mining company involved in the controversial Kvanefjeld project in Greenland.
The project, focused on extracting rare earth minerals and uranium, has drawn opposition for its environmental impact and partnership with two Chinese state-owned companies – Shenghe Resources and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).
Both companies are reportedly active in Myanmar, with interests in rare earth mining and Belt & Road projects such as the China Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) and Kyaukphyu deep-sea port. These projects help fund Myanmar’s military, which is waging a brutal war against civilians and resistance groups.
In the open letter issued on Tuesday, the 290 organizations expressed alarm over the Special Envoy’s connections to the mining industry and Chinese state-owned companies with potential or confirmed commercial interests in Myanmar.
They said her involvement with Chinese state-owned companies raised serious concerns regarding 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 groups said.
Bishop has denied the accusations, insisting that her consulting firm had never provided advice to any company or individual on matters related to Myanmar.
“On no occasion have I, or would I engage in matters that conflict with my commitments to the UN,” she wrote in an email to the Associated Press last week.
China is a major supplier of arms to Myanmar’s military – which seized power in 2021 – and continues to support the junta financially through various projects.
The 290 signatories called on the UN Secretary-General to immediately investigate Bishop for possible conflicts of interest in her role as Special Envoy 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,” the letter urged.
