AFP/ DhakaTribune Published: June 4, 2023 11:22 PM | Last updated: June 4,2023 11:22 PM

Organizing elections without an“inclusive political dialogue” risks worsening violence in Myanmar, said a UN envoy on Saturday, a dayafter meeting a leading opposition figure in Geneva.

The outgoing UN special envoy forMyanmar Noeleen Heyzer, who steps down on June 12, said she met with Zin MarAung, the Foreign Affairs Minister of the National Unity Government in exile.

In the Friday meeting, the UNenvoy "warned against ongoing attempts by the Myanmar military toundermine democratic institutions and processes, such as the dissolution ofopposition parties," a statement said.

Heyzer warned "themilitary's proposed elections risk exacerbating the violence in the absence ofinclusive political dialogue and conditions that permit citizens to freelyexercise their rights."

Heyzer said that any dialogueshould focus on people in conflict-affected areas -- including women and youth.

Myanmar has faced turmoil sincethe military seized power in February 2021, ending the rule of civilian leaderAung San Suu Kyi's elected government over unsubstantiated allegations of fraudin elections the previous year.

The military has since tasked thejunta-dominated election commission with holding fresh polls, which opponentssay cannot possibly be free or fair.

The commission dissolved Suu Kyi's party, the "NationalLeague for Democracy Party," for failing to comply with new election rulesdrawn up by the military.

During her 18-month tenure,Heyzer has been criticized by the junta and its opponents.

She visited the Southeast Asiannation last August and met junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and other top militaryofficials in a move criticized by rights groups as lending legitimacy to thegenerals.

But she was denied a meeting with detained democracyfigurehead Suu Kyi and later irked junta officials who accused her of issuing a"one-sided statement" of what had been discussed.