Rakhine Advisory Commission’s Kofi Annan Arrives in Yangon
By Moe Myint 22 August 2017
YANGON – Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the chair of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, arrived in Yangon on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Annan is scheduled to meet Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw in Naypyitaw tomorrow morning.
According to the advisory commission’s official Facebook page, Mr. Annan will address questions from the media in the Sule Shangri-la Hotel on Thursday morning. The commission’s final report will be published on the same day.
The report will include recommendations for the government on conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance, reconciliation between the region’s Buddhist and Muslim communities, institution building, and development in conflict-torn Rakhine State.
According to commission member Al-Haj U Aye Lwin, Mr. Annan will not travel to Rakhine State during this trip—his third visit to Myanmar.
The commission was established by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in August 2016 and is comprised of two Yangon-based Muslim representatives, and two Buddhist Arakanese representatives, two government officials and three international experts, including Mr. Annan.
A memorandum of understanding between the State Counselor’s Office and the Kofi Annan Foundation was signed last year but specific information pertaining to the agreement was not released to the public.
