Former U.S. ambassador and former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is heading to Myanmar on a private humanitarian mission that will focus on pandemic support, his spokesperson said Sunday.<\/P>
Myanmar has been mired in violence and civil unrest since a military coup seized power in February. Protesters have faced beatings and arrests. The United States suspended a trade deal with Myanmar until a democratic government is restored in the Southeast Asian country.<\/P>
Richardson said his center has a long history of supporting the people of Myanmar, but he didn’t mention the coup in his trip announcement or detail who he planned to meet with while there.<\/P>
“In coordination with our contacts in Myanmar, we are visiting the country to discuss pathways for the humanitarian delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, medical supplies, and other public health needs,” he said in a news release.<\/P>
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres was aware of the mission, said Richardson spokesperson Madeleine Mahony.<\/P>
The U.S. State Department did not immediately comment on the trip.<\/P>
Mahony declined to say whether Richardson would also be working for the release of an American journalist who has been jailed since May 24.<\/P>
Danny Fenster was detained at Yangon International Airport as he was about to board a flight to the United States. He is the managing editor of Frontier Myanmar, an online magazine based in Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city.<\/P>
Fenster was charged with incitement \u2014 also known as sedition \u2014 for allegedly spreading false or inflammatory information. The offense is punishable by up to three years in prison.<\/P>
Richardson last visited Myanmar in 2018 to advise on the Rohingya crisis. He ended up quitting an international panel set up to work on findings from a previous commission after armed forces were accused of carrying out rapes and killings of Rohingyas.<\/P>
Myanmar has denied the allegations.<\/P>
He has made trips to Bangladesh to visit Rohingya refugee camps. The Richardson Center has supported the distribution of personal protection equipment to Rohingya refugees following the spread of the COVID-19 virus.<\/P>
Richardson’s official statement on this latest trip also focused on public health.<\/P>
Richardson believes, his statement said, that “in moments of crisis and instability such as this one, we must ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered to those most in need.”<\/P>
Joining the governor on the trip are Cameron Hume, former U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, South Africa and Algeria; and two officials from the Richardson Center.<\/P>
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Source: Voice of America<\/P>
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