Myanmar army chief attacks UN envoy Julie Bishop after criticism at UN meeting

Myanmar’s new military chief has publicly attacked United Nations special envoy Julie Bishop after she criticised the military’s human rights record and questioned the credibility of its election during a recent UN meeting in New York. An article published on the website of Senior-General Ye Win Oo, who succeeded coup leader Min Aung Hlaing as commander-in-chief in March, described Bishop as “an envoy who brings no benefit to Myanmar” and accused her of bias against the military authorities. The English-language commentary, titled “An Open Letter to the United Nations Secretary-General (1),” was published on the website of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief and simultaneously reproduced in junta-controlled newspapers, including the Global New Light of Myanmar, Myawaddy, and Yadanabon. The article went beyond political criticism, referring to Bishop with personal insults and alleging that she had a history of bullying colleagues in her previous professional roles. It also questioned the UN’s decision to appoint her as its Myanmar envoy. Bishop, a former Australian foreign minister, was appointed the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar in April 2024. The military’s criticism of Bishop is notable because she has also faced criticism from sections of Myanmar’s anti-junta movement during her tenure as envoy. Since her appointment, Justice for Myanmar and other rights groups have called on the UN to investigate alleged conflicts of interest linked to her private consulting activities and business relationships involving Chinese state-owned companies with interests in Myanmar. Bishop denied any conflict of interest and said she had complied with UN disclosure requirements. The latest attack from the military therefore places Bishop in the unusual position of facing criticism from both sides of Myanmar’s conflict, albeit for very different reasons. The military’s criticism appears to have been triggered by remarks Bishop made during an informal meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on June 19, in which she painted a bleak picture of conditions inside Myanmar. She told delegates that “records are being set for all the wrong reasons” and described Myanmar as “a global epicentre for cybercrime,” warning that industrial-scale scam compounds had expanded human trafficking networks “as far as Africa and targeted victims across the United States, Asia and beyond.” Bishop also said Myanmar had become “a global supplier of methamphetamine and opium” and “the world’s leading source of landmine casualties,” adding that 2025 had been “the deadliest year for children in Myanmar since the military takeover, with airstrikes the leading cause of civilian casualties.” Questioning the legitimacy of the military-organised election held earlier this year, Bishop noted that while the authorities claimed the polls were “free and fair,” many people on the ground reported “tight security, a reduced electorate, the exclusion of major political parties, low turnout and polls conducted in the midst of an ongoing armed conflict.” She added that “the United Nations neither supported nor observed this process.” She further said military operations and airstrikes had continued throughout the election period, including attacks on civilian areas “with children among the victims.” The junta’s commentary accused Bishop of presenting a “dishonest” assessment of the situation in Myanmar and suggested that her approach reflected “business-like tactics” rather than genuine efforts to resolve the country's crisis. Although the article was presented as an open letter written by an ordinary citizen identified only as “Min Khant,” the publication contained detailed information that would ordinarily be unavailable to members of the public, including figures relating to requests for assistance made to junta-controlled state agencies. Myanmar’s military has a long history of publishing anonymous commentaries in state-controlled media to respond to criticism from foreign governments, international organisations, and independent news outlets. Because state-run newspapers and military-controlled media are prohibited from publishing material that contradicts official regime positions, these commentaries are understood to reflect the views of junta leaders.

Myanmar army chief attacks UN envoy Julie Bishop after criticism at UN meeting

The military’s criticism of Bishop is notable because she has also faced criticism from sections of Myanmar’s anti-junta movement

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