U.N. chief appoints Singaporean as new Myanmar special envoy

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday appointed Noeleen Heyzer of Singapore as his new special envoy on Myanmar, the United Nations said in a statement.

Heyzer, a former senior U.N. official, will replace Christine Schraner Burgener, who finishes up this weekend after more than three years in the role. Protests and unrest have paralyzed Myanmar since a Feb. 1 military coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Leslie Adler)