The Myanmar military junta said it welcomed the appointment of Yingluck Shinawatra as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Myanmar. Myanmar has not had a UN special envoy since 2023 and the people of the country are seriously looking forward to receiving a new UN envoy to fix their ills.
Yingluck is no stranger to Myanmar; she flew to Myanmar in December 2011 when the country was slowly opening up.
The then-Thai prime minister met with then-President Thein Sein, a Nobel Peace nominee and political reformist, in the capital Naypyitaw and later flew down to Yangon to meet with then-opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
The appointment of Yingluck as UN envoy came as a surprise, as the UN has been exhaustively looking for the right candidate to fill the post left by acclaimed former UN special envoy Noeleen Heyzer.
The brilliant Heyzer was appointed six months after the coup in October 2021 in an effort to find diplomatic solutions to end the conflict. But after 20 months in the position, she left the post citing internal issues with the UN system.
Though it is premature to welcome the appointment, Myanmar’s opposition said it is also excited to learn about the new UN envoy’s performance, role and vision. The media-shy National Unity Government, the government in exile, responded that it will issue a statement but is still doing a Google search on the new envoy. The regime appears to be well ahead in welcoming the appointment.
David Scott Mathieson, independent Myanmar analyst, said, “This is exactly the kind of maverick, dynamic envoy the UN needs right now to shatter global diplomatic inertia. A bold choice which will alarm the SAC and ASEAN in equal measure.”
When asked to comment on Monday, the former Thai prime minister said she was surprised, as she wasn’t aware of her new position.
But she said she would be happy to take the special envoy post despite not being aware of her appointment.
“I hope I can make a difference for Myanmar. My brother Thaksin could be helpful as he knows General Min Aung Hlaing personally,” she said.
When The Irrawaddy called the regime’s spokesperson Zaw Min Tun for comment, the major general, who has not taken questions from The Irrawaddy since the coup in 2021, surprisingly picked up the phone and replied heartily to this reporter.
“Yes… if Mrs Yingluck becomes the special envoy, it’s great!”
When asked why he thought “it’s great”, he went silent for a few moment before answering:
“I think she looks good!”
He added: “I don’t think it’s an April Fool’s prank.”
