The United Nations (UN) top official in Myanmar, Renata Lok-Dessallien, is being recalled to the UN headquarters in New York.The BBC ran an investigative report on Dessallien in September - in which the news outlet accused her of “suppressing internal discussion on [the] Rohingya.”
Around 520,000 Rohingya have fled a military offensive in Myanmar's Rakhine state and took shelter in Bangladesh – following militant attacks on police in August.
According to the BBC, the UN said Dessallien would leave by the end of October.
In June, they said that she would be “rotated from her position” – however they also stressed upon how the decision had “nothing to do with her performance.”
In comparison, the BBC's Jonah Fisher was told by diplomatic and aid community sources in Yangon that the decision was “linked to her failure to prioritise human rights.”
However, Dessallien stayed at her post as the Myanmar government has been rejecting her proposed successor.
The UN secretary-general said he had “full confidence” in Dessallien two weeks ago, however BBC's correspondent says “that now appears to be in doubt.”
Sources in the UN and aid community previously told the BBC that Dessallien had “also tried to stop human rights officials from visiting areas where the army allegedly persecuted the Rohingya minority.”
As a response to the BBC's inquiry, the UN in Myanmar defended Dessallien's handling of the Rohingya crisis and said “her departure was part of a succession process.”
The UN has not yet announced who will replace Dessallien.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
