It has been a tough 10 days for the United Nations Special Envoy tasked with attempting to bring peace to crisis-ridden Myanmar.

In the wake of a high-profile interview with Channel News Asia on February 1 – on the occasion of the Myanmar military coup anniversary - UN Special Envoy Dr Noeleen Heyzer’s office was forced to issue a statement attempting explain a “misrepresentation” in the interview that prompted an angry response from Myanmar civil society organizations and the wider public.

Dr Heyzer issued a statement on February 3 saying her office regretted a misunderstanding over a suggestion in the interview – made by the interviewer - that she had used the term “power sharing” with the Myanmar junta and proposed it as a solution in the context of the political crisis in Myanmar.

Dr Heyzer’s office said the envoy had “never proposed power sharing as an option and has consistently advocated for a Myanmar-led process that is reflective of the will and the needs of the people, as reflected in the 2020 elections.”

Civil society groups were up in arms following the interview on the Singapore-based CNA news channel last week given the suggestion presented in the interview that “the Myanmar military junta cannot be ignored and left out of any upcoming peace process.”

This is apparently anathema to Myanmar’s civil and armed resistance battling to get rid of what they view as an illegal dictatorship.

CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS UPSET

In a joint statement, 247 civil society organizations said they “rejected UN Special Envoy Dr Heyzer’s proposal that those defying the military must negotiate a power sharing as a solution to the current political, human rights and humanitarian crisis created by the terrorist military junta.”

The CSOs were prompted to respond following the interview with CNA.

In the CNA interview, the UN Special Envoy discusses finding “commonalities”, a political transformation requiring process and a “need to negotiate what this power sharing could look like”.

She says the Myanmar junta - which came to power in a military coup a year ago - has a role to play in any effort to find peace in Myanmar.

“The military, when I say that they are not legitimate, it doesn't mean that they have no role. They have a legitimate role. But they are not the legitimate government at this time,” Ms Heyzer, a former under secretary-general of the United Nations who was named its special envoy to Myanmar a few weeks ago, told CNA.

Ms Heyzer said this in the wake of statements by the pro-democracy National Unity Government (NUG) who insist that the military, with its record of violence, should be totally excluded from any talks about the future of the country.

“The killing will even get worse, unless we find a way to actually stop it,” Ms Heyzer told CNA.

However, Ms Heyzer also emphasised that while the military will have to be part of any upcoming peace process, the junta cannot be the force leading the process going forward.

And she urged youth activists protesting against the Tatmadaw or Myanmar military to moderate their stance and think in the long-term.

"I know that many young people, especially the young, they’re willing to die fighting for a total political transformation," she said. "Any political transformation requires a process and it's not going to happen overnight. And therefore, I want them to have something to live for, not to die for."

THE ROLE OF THE JUNTA

Coming on the first anniversary of the coup, the UN Special Envoy’s comments have been met with strong reactions, according to the statement by the CSOs.

In addition to the concern over the suggestion of power sharing with the military junta, the CSOs further raise alarm at the comments she made during her interview in which she claims that “The military is in control at this particular time”.

The CSOs say: “These statements could set a dangerous precedent, that those who take control through brutal means – massacring, killing, raping, arresting, torturing, burning villages and people, targeting civilians using airstrikes and shelling – be welcomed to share power. Such suggestions send a signal to the military that the UN is willing to act as a broker for their power despite the grave crimes they have committed, and further embolden them to commit atrocities with total impunity.

“The youth who are continuing to call for an end to the military’s terror are not being unrealistic in their efforts to see their human rights and fundamental freedoms protected. Their calls reflect the principles laid out in the UN Charter and deserve the full support and respect of UN mandate holders.” (See the full press release in the accompanying story)

COUNTRY IN CRISIS

What is clear from the CSO response and the comments of pro-democracy activists is that many of the Myanmar public are frustrated by the failure of the United Nations to crack down more heavily on the brutal Myanmar junta that is guilty of war crimes and human rights abuse. Over 1,500 civilians have been killed and about 10,000 arrested over the last 12 months.

The knee-jerk response of hundreds of CSOs is indicative of the frustration that the international body appears unable to do much more that talk – typical in regards to many conflicts around the world. Proposals that the UN should send in peace-keeping troops or enforce a “no-fly zone” over conflict-ridden areas of Myanmar have been met with silence.

While the UN Security Council has debated the Myanmar crisis on several occasions, little has come out in part due to the voting power of China and Russia, countries that maintain cordial relations with junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and the Myanmar military.

TAKE THE CASE TO THE ICC

As the CSOs mentioned in their statement: “The Special Envoy should advise the UN Security Council to immediately refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court so that these grave crimes committed by the Myanmar military can be investigated and prosecuted. Offering them a seat at the negotiating table is not in accordance with the ‘will and interests of the people of Myanmar’ as adopted in resolutions at the UN General Assembly.”

The CSOs took issue with the Special Envoy’s characterization that the junta had “taken over” or had a tight grip on power.

“Such mistakes have been a persistent problem for the UN in Myanmar as outlined in the Rosenthal report, which found that systemic and structural failures rendered the UN impotent in the face of the Rohingya genocide. The UN must not make the same mistakes, and once again, fail the people of Myanmar.”

The focus, they say, should be on the Myanmar people, according to the CSO statement.

Seven decades of brutal military rule in Myanmar appear to have finally come to a head - for the Bamar majority and the ethnic minorities.

“If the Special Envoy is genuinely committed to a ‘Myanmar-led process’ and engaging ‘directly with and listen carefully to all those affected by the ongoing crisis’, she must understand the root causes of the current crisis and genuinely listen to the calls of the people of Myanmar. Their calls have been clear. The military must never rule.”