United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has tapped Switzerland’s Ambassador to Germany, Christine Schraner Burgener, to be his special envoy on Myanmar, UN sources said on Wednesday. Myanmar has faced international criticism over a military crackdown that has sent nearly 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh. The United Nations, United States, Britain and others have described the operation as ethnic cleansing, which Myanmar has denied. In December the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution asking Guterres to appoint a UN special envoy on Myanmar, putting a special focus of the world body on trying to help resolve the crisis. Myanmar UN Ambassador Hau Do Suan did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday on Guterres’ plan to appoint Schraner Burgener, who was previously Switzerland’s ambassador to Thailand.

Source: Dhaka Tribune April 25, 2018 20:26 UTC