Myanmar’s U.N. Ambassador defies junta, calls for global action to end coup
Kyaw Moe Tun, remaining loyal to the civilian government toppled on February 1, gave a dramatic speech while addressing the UN assembly on Friday.
On Friday, Myanmar’s United Nations ambassador defied the country’s army and issued an impassioned plea at the UN General Assembly for immediate international action to help overturn the military coup.
Kyaw Moe Tun, remaining loyal to the civilian government toppled on February 1, gave a dramatic speech while addressing the assembly on Friday.
“We need further strongest possible action from the international community to immediately end the military coup, to stop oppressing the innocent people, to return the state power to the people and to restore democracy,” he added.
The diplomat was applauded by his UN colleagues at the end of the speech.
The new US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, praised the envoy’s “courageous” remarks.
On Friday, while addressing the assembly, she said, “The United States continues to strongly condemn the military coup in Myanmar and we condemn the security forces’ brutal killing of unarmed people.”
Thomas-Greenfield added that the US “will continue to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance, including to Rohingya and other vulnerable populations in Chin, Kachin, Rakhine, and Shan states.”
Akila Radhakrishnan, president of the Global Justice Center in a statement Friday said “the world should applaud the bravery of Representative Kyaw Moe Tun for delivering such a powerful statement on behalf of the people of Myanmar, not the illegitimate military junta. The international community must reward such courage by taking up his call for immediate, decisive action to hold the military accountable.”
Myanmar tumbled into unrest when the coup ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
After the coup, Suu Kyi has been imprisoned in her house in the capital.
The country has since seen 21 continuous days of anti-military protests, with demonstrations held in Mandalay and Yangon on Friday.
Earlier in the day, some protesters assembled peacefully outside Suu Kyi’s house to pray.
Military leaders have imposed an internet curfew as the turmoil continues.
According to sources on the ground, on Thursday police officers fired “at least 10 rounds in the air” to break up a crowd of protesters in Yangon.