Feb 26, 2021 - World

Myanmar's UN ambassador calls on world to condemn military coup

Oriana González

Picture of a protester holding a placard with a portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi during a demonstration — Photo: Peerapon Boonyakiat/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Myanmar's Ambassador to the United Nations, Kyaw Moe Tun, on Friday denounced the Feb. 1 military coup, asking member nations to publicly condemn the uprising, The Irrawaddy reports.

What he's saying: "The military detained State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other political leaders and social activists. Since then, people from all strata of life have come out on the streets all over the country and expressed their disappointment with the military coup," Tun said, in prepared remarks.

"[T]he people in Myanmar still feel helpless ... we still need strongest possible action from the international community to immediately end the military coup."
Tun asked all UN members to denounce the coup, to not recognize the military regime, and take "all strongest possible measures" to stop the attacks by Myanmar law enforcement against protesters and end the coup immediately.

The big picture: On Friday UN special envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener called for a collective "clear signal in support of democracy," Reuters reports.

"It is important the international community does not lend legitimacy or recognition to this regime,” Schraner Burgener said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has promised that the international community to enact pressure "to make sure that this coup fails," per Reuters.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, commented on Tun's actions, saying, "It is impossible to overstate the risks that Myanmar UN ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun just took in the UN General Assembly when (voice cracking) he just now called on world to oppose the military coup."

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Myanmar's UN ambassador calls on world to condemn military coup

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