UN Special Envoy denies conflict of interest allegations
The U.N. Special Envoy on Burma Julie Bishop denied accusations made about a conflict of interest in her role after becoming a strategic advisor to Energy Transition Minerals (ETM) in January through her consulting firm. One major shareholder in an ETM project is Shenghe Resources, a partly state-owned Chinese rare earths mining company.
“On no occasion have I, or would I engage in matters that conflict with my commitments to the U.N.,” Bishop responded to the Associated Press in an email on Wednesday, while adding that she has been “fully compliant” with U.N. disclosure and ethics obligations. “In this regard, the special envoy keeps the [U.N.] apprised of her outside activities,” Stéphane Dujarric, the U.N. Secretary-General spokesperson, told AP.
Dujarric added that Bishop must abide by the U.N. charter, rules, and regulations, which require “upholding the highest standard of integrity, including regarding any potential conflicts of interest.” Justice for Myanmar urged the U.N. to investigate Bishop and disclose the findings. Bishop was appointed as the U.N. Special Envoy on Burma on April 5.
World Food Programme to cut aid to one million in Myanmar
The World Food Programme (WFP) announced that a funding shortfall of $81 million USD will impact one million people reliant on life-saving food assistance in Burma starting in April. Nearly 20 million people in Burma are currently in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, according to U.N.
“These cuts come just as increased conflict, displacement and access restrictions are already sharply driving up food aid needs,” the WFP said on Friday. It warned that the cuts would affect communities that were entirely reliant on it for food. An estimated 15.2 million – about a third of the country’s population – are facing acute food insecurity,
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres visited the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh on Friday, where over one million Rohingya will face a halving of their monthly WFP food rations from $12.50 to $6 USD per person starting in April. “I can promise that we will do everything to avoid it,” Guterres told media in Bangladesh before he departed on March 16.
Airstrikes on Mandalay Region kills 27 people
The People’s Defence Force (PDF) told DVB that 27 people, including six children, were killed and another 30 were injured by airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force on Letpanhla village of Singu Township, Mandalay Region, on Friday. Singu is located along the Mandalay-Mogok road 126 miles (202 km) north of the region’s capital Mandalay.
“It’s not easy to get detailed information about the casualties at the moment,” a PDF spokesperson told DVB. Singu has been under PDF control and National Unity Government (NUG) administration since July. The airstrikes reportedly targeted a busy marketplace in Letpanhla village.
A previous airstrike on Letpanhla killed two civilians on March 4. Another in January struck the police hospital in Singu town. A regime counter offensive to retake Twinnge and 7-Mile villages in Thabeikkyin Township began earlier this month. Thabeikkyin Township is located 215 miles (346 km) north of Singu.
News by Region
AYEYARWADY—A Yekyi Township court sentenced three men from Gwa and Ann townships in neighboring Arakan State to six years in prison on Friday. The three had been arrested at a check-point gate in Yekyi on Nov. 24. Yekyi is located 53 miles (85 km) north of the region’s capital Pathein.
“They were accused of being members of the Arakan Army and sentenced under the Counter-Terrorism Law,” a source close to the court told DVB on the condition of anonymity. The family members of four others from Arakan arrested in Ayeyarwady on Oct. 11 have lost contact with them.
KAREN—Thai media reported that 11 regime troops from the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 31 at Lel Paw Hel village, also known as Pulutu, of Hlaingbwe Township received humanitarian aid across the border in Tha Song Yang District of Tak Province on Friday. Hlaingbwe is located 23 miles (37 km) northeast of the Karen State capital Hpa-An
The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), along with its allied resistance forces, claimed that it had captured the LIB 31 on Thursday. Fighting between the KNLA and regime troops over control of the LIB 31 began on Feb. 27. DVB requested comment from the Karen National Union (KNU) but received no response.
SHAN—The Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) claimed that 17 were killed, including 15 regime troops, in Moebye town of Pekon Township on Friday. Moebye is located 100 miles (160 km) south of the Shan State capital Taunggyi and 11 miles (17 km) north of the Karenni State capital Loikaw.
“The military attacked so we counter-attacked. It was back and forth. They received artillery support from Pekon,” Banyar Aung, the Karenni Interim Executive Council (IEC) second secretary, told DVB. He claimed that the regime dropped incendiary bombs on Moebye. At least 20 homes were destroyed by the resulting fire. Read more.
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