In Bangkok, various activist organizations are urging the United Nations to launch an investigation into its special envoy to Myanmar amid concerns over potential conflicts of interest. These concerns arise after a report highlighted alleged connections between her consultancy firm and Chinese mining and construction projects operating within Myanmar.
Justice for Myanmar has addressed a letter to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres after a report surfaced in Australia’s The Saturday Paper. This report purportedly details Julie Bishop’s associations with Chinese state-owned companies active in Myanmar. Several other groups have since echoed calls for an inquiry into these claims.
Julie Bishop, the former Australian foreign minister who currently holds the position of chancellor at the Australian National University, has yet to respond publicly to these allegations. Additionally, a request for commentary directed at her consulting firm went unanswered.
Myanmar, also referred to as Burma, is currently engulfed in a civil conflict involving the country’s military leaders and pro-democracy forces, among others. China remains a key supplier of arms to Myanmar’s military, following the coup that unseated democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. Furthermore, Chinese-backed mining and construction operations contribute significantly to the military government’s revenue streams.
Justice for Myanmar asserts that Bishop’s connections to Chinese interests within Myanmar constitute “unacceptable conflicts of interest that warrant thorough investigation.” Yadanar Muang, the group’s spokesperson, articulated that “the erosion of trust among Myanmar’s civil society poses a critical challenge to the special envoy’s mandate, given her role involves engaging with civil society and various stakeholders.”
In a statement issued to The Australian newspaper, Bishop’s consulting entity described itself as a “private-advisory firm offering strategic analysis and guidance.” The firm emphasized that it abstains from taking fiduciary or executive roles, while ensuring the declaration and vetting of any potential or real conflicts.
Guterres’ office acknowledged the receipt of Justice for Myanmar’s letter but withheld from providing further commentary. An immediate response is yet to come from Australia’s Foreign Ministry, while the Australian National University highlighted Bishop’s position as chancellor, noting it is part-time and non-executive in nature.
“Chancellors typically have interests beyond their university obligations, provided these do not clash with the university’s interests,” the university outlined in a statement. Bishop was given the role as Guterres’ envoy to Myanmar in April.
Additionally, The Saturday Paper reported that Bishop’s consultancy was engaged as a strategic advisor on a Greenland mining endeavor by Energy Transition Minerals, a Melbourne-based firm prominent in rare earths projects. The firm reportedly boasts significant backing from China’s Shenghe Resources, with extensive commercial affiliations to the Chinese Communist Party.
Energy Transition Minerals is in litigation against Greenland and Denmark, seeking substantial compensation following Greenland’s prohibition of uranium mining, which affected their ongoing project plans. The project came to a halt post-ban in 2021. Shenghe Resources, partially state-owned, reportedly sources rare earths from Myanmar, noted as China’s leading supplier of heavy rare earths. Another partner in this equation, the state-owned China Communications Construction Company, maintains operations within Myanmar. According to Justice for Myanmar, Bishop also has connections to Australian companies invested in both present and past mining and energy pursuits in Myanmar.
Justice for Myanmar implores Guterres to conduct a review of Bishop’s business associations, assess her suitability for her ongoing U.N. role, and transparently unveil the outcome of such an investigation.
