Myanmar diplomats in US and Switzerland refuse to return home after criticising military junta

South China Morning Post

29 Jun, 2021

• Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar’s ambassador to the UN, said the 11 diplomats had joined the civil disobedience movement following the Feburary 1 coup
• ‘The military [has] already charged me high treason … So I definitely cannot go back [to Myanmar],’ he said

Anti-coup protesters march in Pabedan township near Yangon. Photo: AP

Eleven Myanmar diplomats in the United States and Switzerland are creating a united front as they seek to remain in their host countries in protest against the country’s military junta, refusing to return home, the country’s ambassador to the United Nations said on Monday.

Myanmar ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun said the 11 are among around 20 diplomats in seven countries who have joined the civil disobedience movement amid the continued use of violence against protesters by Myanmar security forces since the February 1 military coup.

The 51-year-old envoy to the world body has continued to criticise the Myanmar junta, using the three-fingered salute shared by opponents of the military takeover.

Soldiers stand next to military vehicles as people gather to protest against the military coup in Yangon. Photo: Reuters

According to the envoy, four Myanmar diplomats in Washington and three in Los Angeles are applying for temporary protected status as their diplomatic status is set to end, while four in Geneva are also asking Swiss authorities to enable them to remain there.

The other diplomats opposing the junta are in Canada, France, Germany, Israel and Japan, he said. The revelation by the ambassador came after Myanmar national soccer goalkeeper Pyae Lyan Aung applied for refugee status in Japan last week. He has expressed fear for his life for making the three-fingered salute in protest against the coup during a match in May.

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The ambassador’s remarks suggest the momentum against the military government has grown among Myanmar diplomats overseas as well.

Asked about his own situation, Kyaw Moe Tun indicated he will also seek an extension of his stay in the US with temporary protected status or in some other form.

“The military [has] already charged me high treason … So I definitely cannot go back [to Myanmar],” the envoy said.

With regard to the soccer goalkeeper, the ambassador said, “I salute him”, saying he helped make the international community aware of “what’s happening in Myanmar”.

Kyaw Moe Tun, meanwhile, showed disappointment at a UN General Assembly resolution adopted earlier this month, saying it took almost three months to deliberate and had its contents watered down.

On Japan, the ambassador expressed gratitude for support but wants stronger and more decisive actions from Tokyo, urging the country to suspend investment in Myanmar and financial flows to the military until a civilian government takes power again.

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