Ex-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on surprise Myanmar trip

By GRANT PECK
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Former U.N Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is on a surprise visit to military-run Myanmar on behalf of a group of elder statesmen that engages in peace-making and human rights initiatives around the world. The arrival of Ban, the deputy chair of The Elders, in the capital Naypyitaw was announced Sunday night by state television. A South Korean Embassy official said the visit was arranged by The Elders, a group that was founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007. The Elders have not yet released any details about Ban’s visit but it appears certain to deal with Myanmar’s ongoing political crisis. Myanmar has been wracked by violent unrest since the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.