UN Special Envoy Julie Bishop arrived in Myanmar this week for her first visit since a deadly 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the country, deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis.
The visit aims to “reinforce our commitment to peace and dialogue,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement.
No additional details have been provided regarding Ms. Bishop’s agenda for the trip, although she is expected to meet with members of Myanmar’s military junta.This visit to Myanmar comes as Bishop faces scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest related to her dual roles as the UN Special Envoy and Chancellor of the Australian National University.
The concerns relate to allegations of financial mismanagement and ethical concerns, including questionable expenditures and potential conflicts between her university role and private consultancy.
Bishop also faces calls for her removal due to alleged conflicts of interest involving her advisory role with Energy Transition Minerals, a minerals mining corporation that has links to Chinese state-owned companies operating in Myanmar.
“We have serious concerns about UN Special Envoy Julie Bishop’s business activities, including her appointment as an advisor for a China-backed mining project in Greenland that has been rightfully resisted by indigenous people,” said Justice For Myanmar spokesperson Yadanar Maung in a recent statement.
“China is one of the Myanmar military’s biggest arms suppliers and also provides the military with major sources of revenue, including from the mining sector.”
