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 has made 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. The government spokesman says Ban met the country’s military leader and a former president to discuss the situation in the country. Myanmar has been wracked by violence since the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021.