• Burmese
Thursday, July 17, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
26 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion Editorial

UN Forced to Face Its Track Record of Failure in Myanmar

The Irrawaddy by The Irrawaddy
July 2, 2019
in Editorial
Reading Time: 5 mins read
0 0
A A
A UN Security Council delegation prepares to board a helicopter bound for Maungdaw at Sittwe Airport in Rakhine State in May 2018. / UN News

A UN Security Council delegation prepares to board a helicopter bound for Maungdaw at Sittwe Airport in Rakhine State in May 2018. / UN News

11k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A report by Gert Rosenthal, Guatemala’s former foreign minister, released last month accuses the UN of failing troubled Myanmar. The review of UN agencies’ performance and operations in the years before hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims fled the Myanmar military’s violent crackdown in 2017 concluded that the organization’s many bodies failed to act together, resulting in “systemic and structural failures.” But this is not the first time it has happened.

In June 2017, internal UN documents prepared for the new UN secretary-general described the agency’s Myanmar office as “glaringly dysfunctional” with “strong tensions” between different parts of the UN system. Later that year we saw Renata Lok-Dessallien, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator, leave her post prematurely. She had been criticized for not doing enough regarding human rights abuses in Myanmar.

“Without question serious errors were committed and opportunities were lost in the U.N. system following a fragmented strategy rather than a common plan of action,” Rosenthal said, adding that the “systemic failure was further magnified by some bureaucratic and unseemly infighting.”

RelatedPosts

Rakhine Fighters Close In on Myanmar Junta’s Naval Base

Rakhine Fighters Close In on Myanmar Junta’s Naval Base

July 16, 2025
1.8k
Bangladesh Vows to Break Rohingya Crime Gangs

Bangladesh Vows to Break Rohingya Crime Gangs

July 15, 2025
560
Timor-Leste Hits Back at Myanmar Junta’s Objection to ASEAN Membership

Timor-Leste Hits Back at Myanmar Junta’s Objection to ASEAN Membership

July 7, 2025
1.9k

This week, Christine Schraner-Burgener, the UN envoy to Myanmar, said progress on alleviating the problems that led to the Rohingya exodus has been slow and warns that if there is no action it will be time to “ring the alarm bell.”

Ring the alarm bell? But how?

Indeed, there is deep frustration in the international community at the lack of progress in returning the Rohingya. Likewise, there is deep frustration and anger among Myanmar people toward the UN, as it has been sending mixed messages to the country for decades, not just on the Rohingya issue.

Since the crisis erupted, respected UN agencies have voiced concerns over the Rohingya, but there has not been a unified voice.

The Security Council delegation meets with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of Myanmar’s armed forces, in April 2018. / UN News

In August 2017, soon after the military launched its clearance operations, the UN human rights chief at the time described them as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” and other UN agencies called for the immediate return of the Rohingya to Myanmar. At the same time, some UN humanitarian agencies said conditions were not conducive to the safe and dignified return of the Rohingya refugees. But this only sent a confused message to Myanmar.

In fact, the mass repatriation will not take place any time soon, due to the ongoing fighting between Arakanese rebels known as the Arakan Army and the Myanmar Army in northern Rakhine State. The situation there is expected to get worse before it gets better, with the fighting likely to be prolonged. There are also grave concerns that the longer the fighting drags on, the more likely it is that external forces will get involved in the conflict. China is one of the main investors in Rakhine State—particularly through its strategic deep seaport project in Kyaukphyu—but India, Japan and the West are also keen to get involved in the area.

Powerful backers

“The United Nations’ collective membership, represented by the Security Council, bears part of that responsibility, by not providing enough support to the secretariat when such backing was and continues to be essential,” Rosenthal wrote.

The 15-member Security Council, which visited Rakhine State last year, is deadlocked, with Myanmar allies China and Russia pitted against Western members over how to deal with the situation. The Myanmar military is seen has having moved closer to Russia and China. In recent years, the government in Myanmar is also seen as having formed warmer relations with Beijing.

Schraner-Burgener said the fighting involving the Arakan Army “is having a devastating impact on all local communities caught in the crossfire, independent of their religious or ethnic background.” And “it is also further impacting efforts toward the dignified, voluntary and safe return of refugees,” she said.

There is no doubt that conditions in the region aren’t conducive to the return of the Rohingya refugees. Last week the government suspended internet service in Rakhine State, prompting Yangon-based embassies and human-rights groups to express concern.

Moreover, with a general election due next year, Myanmar is now in election mode and few politicians including State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will take any firm stance on the Rohingya issue. Meanwhile, the military and the nationalists will maintain their hardline stance toward the refugees.

The UN envoy also told the General Assembly that there are “not a lot of changes on the ground,” pointing to “many challenges” including Myanmar’s civilian leaders having “to navigate an extremely difficult environment in which the military continues to have considerable political influence.”

Rohingya refugees cross the Naf River on an improvised raft to reach Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Nov. 12, 2017. / REUTERS

Describing the reality on the ground, Schraner-Burgener said that “immense complexities” inside the country have been “an impediment” to tackling the Rohingya crisis.

She cited Myanmar’s 70 years of isolation, the 21 armed groups still operating in the country, a lack of development, drug production and human trafficking. Myanmar is a country of complex conflicts that no outsider could hope to solve or mediate. The irony is that UN envoys have been involved in trying to advance Myanmar’s “peace process” for a decade, but as things stand at the moment that process is more fragmented than ever, with more and more ethnic armed groups mushrooming in northern Myanmar and elsewhere. Can this be called a peace process?

In his report, Rosenthal also pointed out that the UN system “has been relatively impotent to effectively work with the authorities of Myanmar to reverse the negative trends in the area of human rights and consolidate the positive trends in other areas.”

He noted “increasing criticism regarding the lack of leadership displayed by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,” the government’s de facto leader, “as well as her unwillingness to take distance from the military.”

Indeed, the stream of stories about the deepening ethnic conflicts in Myanmar, particularly in Rakhine State, can be a joy-killer, but seasoned observers know that real change in Myanmar will take time.

At the recent summit in Bangkok, which was attended by Myanmar’s de facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leaders of ASEAN said in a joint statement, “We stressed the importance of and expressed our continued support for Myanmar’s commitment to ensure safety and security for all communities in Rakhine State as effectively as possible and facilitate the voluntary return of displaced persons in a safe, secure and dignified manner.” As in the past, ASEAN’s involvement is key. The grouping was invited to—and became involved in—Myanmar when the country faced a humanitarian crisis in 2008.

On that occasion, ASEAN responded proactively, assuming a leadership role in reacting to the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargisin Myanmar’s delta region, both by convincing the Myanmar government to cooperate with the international community and in managing the response itself. Its recent statement on the Rohingya is indeed welcome, but it is barely a start. Myanmar will have to prepare to work with ASEAN, the UN and other international organizations to assist the safe return of the Rohingya in the future.

But if recent events in Myanmar have taught us anything, it is that real change will only come from within—not from outside.

You may also like these stories:

Military Extends Ceasefire by 2 Months, Rakhine Still Excluded

Rakhine Parliament Rejects Formation of New Ministry

Bangladesh Police Kill Three Suspected Rohingya Traffickers, Rescue 15 Refugees

ASEAN to Support Myanmar in Rohingya Repatriation Process

Your Thoughts …
Tags: AAAseanElectionGert RosenthalRakhineRefugeesrepatriationRohingyaState CounselorTatmadawUN
The Irrawaddy

The Irrawaddy

...

Similar Picks:

Battle of Paletwa Loss Turns Tide Against Myanmar Junta on Western Front
Analysis

Battle of Paletwa Loss Turns Tide Against Myanmar Junta on Western Front

by Moe Sett Nyein Chan
January 23, 2024
22k

The military’s demoralized Western Command is feeling the heat as the Arakan Army closes in on towns in northern Rakhine,...

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Junta Counteroffensives Failing Across Country: Analysts
Analysis

Myanmar Junta Counteroffensives Failing Across Country: Analysts

by Hein Htoo Zan
September 20, 2024
16.8k

Three major operations to retake territory from ethnic armies and their allies are being hampered by troop shortages, experts say.

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Youth Exodus Feared in Wake of Junta’s Conscription Law
Burma

Myanmar Youth Exodus Feared in Wake of Junta’s Conscription Law

by The Irrawaddy
February 15, 2024
15.7k

Activists warn of increased labor rights violations in Thailand and human trafficking as young people flee to avoid mandatory military...

Read moreDetails
Junta Watch: Sinking Feeling as Myanmar Navy Faces Onslaught in Rakhine; and More
Junta Watch

Junta Watch: Sinking Feeling as Myanmar Navy Faces Onslaught in Rakhine; and More

by The Irrawaddy
January 27, 2024
14.3k

Also this week, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s home to be sold, Karen mission fails, ultimate penalty for beaten generals,...

Read moreDetails
Yangon, Mandalay Deserted After Dark as Myanmar Junta Hunts for Conscripts
Burma

Yangon, Mandalay Deserted After Dark as Myanmar Junta Hunts for Conscripts

by Hein Htoo Zan
December 16, 2024
12.5k

Desperate regime ramps up forcible conscription as military defeat looms in Rakhine and Kachin states.

Read moreDetails
More Myanmar Junta Bases Fall in Shan Fighting: MNDAA
Burma

More Myanmar Junta Bases Fall in Shan Fighting: MNDAA

by Hein Htoo Zan
November 11, 2023
11.6k

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army says it continues to topple regime outposts in the Kokang zone on the Chinese...

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
High security forces are deployed at the court hearing for Peacock Generation thangyat troupe members being sued by the military at Botahtaung Township Court, Yangon on June 3, 2019. / Aung Kyaw Thet / The Irrawaddy

Military Using Lawsuits to Impede Freedom of Expression: Athan

A stockpile of sand is pictured in Singapore on June 26, 2019. / REUTERS

In Blow to Singapore's Expansion, Malaysia Bans Sea Sand Exports

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

2 days ago
1.2k
‘Not a Witch Hunt’: Upholding Survivor-Centered Justice in Myanmar

‘Not a Witch Hunt’: Upholding Survivor-Centered Justice in Myanmar

6 days ago
790

Most Read

  • Indian Army Accused of Deadly Strike on Separatists in Myanmar

    Indian Army Accused of Deadly Strike on Separatists in Myanmar

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Rakhine Fighters Close In on Myanmar Junta’s Naval Base

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Behind the Scenes: China’s Hand in Myanmar’s Election

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Recaptures Nawnghkio After Months-Long Counteroffensive

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Rogue Sagaing Resistance Fighters Held Over Robbery Gone Wrong

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.