On Myanmar, Ban “Notes” Calls to Replace UN Envoy Nambiar, Rohingya on Margins

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 20 -- With the UN's envoy to Myanmar Vijay Nambiar openly refusing to speak with the press, despite a formal request from the UN correspondents' association, the only way to learn the specifics of his recent visit is to ask the Security Council diplomats he spoke to, then ask the UN to confirm.

Inner City Press on May 20 asked UN spokesman Martin Nesirky why Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has not acted on what even Nambiar on May 20 reported to the Council Aung San Suu Kyi has asked for: a full time replacement to Nambiar as envoy.

Nesirky replied that “the Secretary-General takes note of these suggestions, and we’ll look at them in due course.” Some wonder when the course will be considered due, given that replacement of Nambiar has been suggested for months.

On May 19 the Assistant chief of the UN refugee agency UNHCR told Inner City Press about the plight of the Rohnigya people left stateless by Myanmar. Inner City Press asked her if Nambiar, Ban's envoy to Myanmar, does anything on this issue. This she did not answer.

Inner City Press on May 20 asked Nesirky if Nambiar works at all on the issue. Without providing any specifics, Nesirky said that “obviously we would have concern for the treatment and position of any ethnic group.”

But why then did Nambiar not meet with ethnic minorities, nor speak about the violations and ending of ceasefires in their areas by the government? These are questions that Nambiar should take and answer, in the press availability now requested by the UN correspondents' association.

From the UN's May 20 transcript:

Inner City Press: I wanted to ask about Myanmar as well. Yesterday, Mr. [Vijay] Nambiar didn’t end up taking any questions, but a member of the Council of the United Kingdom, on the record, said that he recorded that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told him that she would like to see a full-time envoy, and the United Kingdom, as some other countries have in the past, said they too would like to see a full-time envoy, i.e., not Mr. Nambiar, who would be a part-time envoy. So I wonder, one, can you confirm that that’s what Mr. Nambiar said in the Council, given that a Council member said it? And two, what’s the Secretariat’s response to the request by the main democracy leader in Myanmar, that a full-time envoy be chosen, selected and sent?

Inner City Press: Well, Mr. Vijay Nambiar conveyed to the Security Council the gist of his conversations with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD [National League for Democracy], and also conversations he had with Myanmar's other political opposition groups, ethnic nationality groups and representatives of civil society in Myanmar. And he has also said — because I know that you’ve asked a number of questions related to this, including the prisoner release — he also said that, while the initial sentence reductions and resulting release of some political prisoners is a small step in the right direction, it has been short of expectations and is insufficient. And, again, just to reiterate, during the visit, the United Nations reiterated its call for the urgent release of all political prisoners.

And also, I think it is important to note that the real test would be whether — or how quickly — the new climate can translate into a change in content in Myanmar. And it would also be important to see how the authorities concretely hold up to their own commitments and respond to the United Nations’ various suggestions over the next coming months.

Inner City Press: there was a press conference here yesterday afternoon, where an official of UNHCR was talking about stateless people and the Convention on Refugees. And she spoke about the Rohingya being repatriated to Myanmar, not being given citizenship papers. So, I wanted to, it wasn’t clear to me, maybe you’re always… you said that if something wasn’t in the statement, it doesn’t mean he didn’t work on it or didn’t discuss it, but is… does he view this problem of the… she says there is a million of them, stateless Rohingya people in Myanmar; is part of this in any way related to his mandate of good offices and if so, what does he think of the Government’s treatment of them?

Spokesperson: Well, obviously we would have concern for the treatment and position of any ethnic group. And as I mentioned, Mr. Nambiar did convey to the Security Council and outlined the conversations that he had with the various groups and individuals, including ethnic nationality groups, and of course with the authorities themselves.

Inner City Press: On this idea that both Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the United Kingdom and others have said that a full-time, without… that a full-time envoy would be better suited for the job…

Spokesperson: Well, we’ve said before, because the last time there was a Group of Friends meeting, a similar suggestion was made, and we’ve said before that the Secretary-General takes note of these ideas, proposals, suggestions, and we’ll look at them in due course.