By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, June 25 -- Amid an upsurge in fighting and displacement as Myanmar's military-dominated government tries to put down ethnic Kachin rebels, Inner City Press on June 16 asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky if Ban's putative envoy on Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar, had anything to say or would do anything about it:
Inner City Press: in Myanmar, there are these reports of clashes between the Government and the Kachin rebels, they say that dozens have been killed, 10,000 people have been displaced. So, one, I wanted to know whether any part of the UN system is addressing these, especially displacees [sic] in this conflict and also whether Ban Ki-moon’s Chief of Staff, in his good offices role, is he aware of this fighting? Has he communicated with the Government? What does he say about this seeming deterioration in safety within the country?
Spokesperson Nesirky: Let me check. Right, okay, thank you very much. Have a good afternoon.
Nine full days have passed, and the UN has had nothing to say, even as the situation has deteriorated to the point where other governments, even thought trying rapprochement with Myanmar's military dominated government, have spoken out.
Does Vijay Nambiar no longer work on the Myanmar issue?
Inner City Press observed him on June 23, accompanying Ban to greet Saudi Arabia's new Permanent Representative to the UN (who said he'd seen Nambiar the previous night.)
Is a new full time envoy to replace Nambiar, as requested by the UK, Mexico and others, in the offing? With Ban's spokesperson's office either refusing to answer or follow up on Myanmar questions, it is hard to know. Watch this site.
