Burma: Former UN chief Ban Ki-Moon calls on the junta for dialogue and an end to violence

Returning from Burma, former UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday urged the ruling military junta to end violence in the Southeast Asian country and engage in dialogue with its opponents.

Burma has descended into chaos since the military overthrew the government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, sparking fighting in large parts of the country and bringing the economy to its knees.

Brutal repression

The junta carries out a brutal crackdown on dissent, refuses to engage with its opponents and ignores international diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict.

The army "

" to dialogue with its opponents, said Ban Ki-moon after a two-day visit there, during which he met the head of the junta, Min Aung Hlaing, but not the ex-civilian leader in detention.

The former UN secretary-general also said that the "

" (NUG), a shadow body dominated by former MPs from Aung San Suu Kyi's party - many of them in exile - should also be part of any "

".

So far, the army has shown no sign of willingness to dialogue with the NUG, which it considers a "

" organization.

Human rights groups accuse the junta of massacres, burning villages and airstrikes on areas suspected of harboring its opponents.

Read alsoRussia, the Burmese junta's ultimate ally

Earlier this month, an army airstrike on a village in a resistance-held area killed more than 170 people, according to media and locals.

Ban Ki-Moon did not specify whether he had asked to meet Aung San Suu Kyi, who is serving a 33-year prison sentence after a river trial described as a charade by rights defenders.

During his meeting with Min Aung Hlaing in the Burmese capital Naypyidaw, the South Korean "

", said the junta's communication team without providing further details.

Ban Ki-Moon is part of a group of ex-leaders called "

" which brings together international personalities working for the settlement of conflicts in the world.