Myanmar Army again aims to replace UN Ambassador

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United Nations (AP) — Myanmar’s military rulers are again calling for a replacement for the United Nations ambassador who opposed the expulsion of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the takeover of the government on February 1.

Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin said in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that he had appointed Aung Tulein, who left the army this year for the first time in 26 years, as the UN ambassador to Myanmar. A copy of the letter was obtained by the Associated Press on Tuesday.

Lewin said in an attached letter that Myanmar’s currently recognized UN ambassador, Kyaw Moe Tung, “dismissed on February 27, 2021 due to abuse of his assigned duties and duties. Was done. “

In a dramatic speech to the General Assembly in Myanmar on February 26, a few weeks after the military takeover, Thun “as strong as possible from the international community” to restore democracy to the country. I sued. He also strongly condemned the coup, refused to recognize the junta, and urged all nations to urge military leaders to respect the November 2020 elections won by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy. ..

“We will continue to fight for people, by people, for people, for people’s government,” Tun said, “strong,” “brave,” and “courageous.”

Previous attempts by the military to expel Tun have failed, and no action has been reported against the Foreign Minister’s letter dated May 12.

The 193 General Assembly is responsible for accrediting diplomats. Applications for accreditation must first be submitted to a nine-member qualification committee consisting of Cameroon, China, Iceland, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, Tanzania, the United States and Uruguay.

Farhan Haq, Deputy Secretary of the United Nations, said no qualification committee meetings were scheduled, as far as he understands.

The United Nations said in June that Secretary-General Antonio had to support the outcome of the November elections, which gave the Suu Kyi party a powerful second mission.

A London-based Myanmar accountability project accused the military of trying to replace Thun and Myanmar’s British ambassador, Cho Zwar Min. The Guardian reported in April that Min remained in limbo after being locked out of the London embassy by his adjutant and military attaché in the country.

The Guardian quoted Min as being forced to hide his friends and relatives in Myanmar and not feeling safe in the ambassador’s residence, which was still occupied at the time.

Chris Gunness, director of the Myanmar Accountability Project, said the military is aiming to replace Min with former fighter pilot Hutun Aung Kyo.

Both Tulain and Kyo have a strong military background of “reading ugly,” Gannes said, and Tulein’s stay in the army until 2021 was a military takeover on February 1 and thereafter. He added that it strongly suggests that he served during the crackdown on.

He called it an “insult to the body of the world” that the military was trying to send to the United Nations. “A man who has a strong connection with a blood-sucking institution and was charged with a mass slaughter in The Hague before the coup.”

A UN-established investigation appointed Myanmar’s Supreme Military Commander for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity after a military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in 2017 and 700,000 fled to neighboring Bangladesh. It is recommended to prosecute.

In January 2020, the United Nations Supreme Court, based in The Hague, the Netherlands, ordered Myanmar to do everything possible to prevent the genocide against the Rohingya that still remain in Myanmar. The decision of the International Court of Justice came despite Suu Kyi’s appeal to the judge to withdraw the proceedings while denying the military genocide.

Gunness said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other leaders blamed the coup, and Britain and its allies imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s military leaders and their commercial interests. He said he did not represent a legitimate government and “served an army accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity,” and the government’s recognition of Kyo was a “terrible double standard.” Will be morally angry. “

He also urged Britain to harness its influence at the United Nations to ensure that the Credentials Commission did not recognize Trane.

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