UK: Myanmar ambassador says embassy coup ‘unacceptable’

LONDON

Myanmar’s ambassador to the UK has condemned the country’s military attache for forcefully taking over the embassy.

Kyaw Zwar Minn on Thursday said that he will meet with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to discuss the embassy takeover as well as the government's position on him and other officials who have been locked out of the diplomatic mission in London.

Zwar Minn insisted that legally he is still the ambassador representing the embattled Southeast Asian nation in the UK.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, he said: “I am going to meet with the FCO and I am going to ask what their position is towards me. This coup is happening in the middle of the UK, in the middle of London and the government should move the occupiers out of the embassy.”

When asked about the UK government’s position on the military junta of Myanmar, Zwar Minn said: “I told you I haven’t got that information yet and that is why I am going to ask the FCO.”

The ambassador remained hopeful that the British government would resolve the issue in his favor and restore his authority as his nation’s representative.

However, he declined to comment on the incidents that occurred the night before when he was refused entry into the building.

The ambassador assured reporters that the details of his meeting with the FCO will be released after its conclusion.

Fearing for his life

Upon a query on the possibility that the British government supports the new ambassador over him, he said that was the government's prerogative.

He was also uncertain about seeking political asylum in the UK but said that if he were to return to Myanmar he would certainly be killed for his opposition to the military junta and support for the deposed Aung San Suu Kyi.

On Wednesday evening, Zwar Minn was locked out of the Myanmar embassy on the orders of the country’s military attache. Embassy staff were also reportedly asked to leave and Zwar Minn was told that he was no longer the country’s representative. His deputy, however, is believed to be inside the embassy.

On Thursday, UK's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned the embassy takeover, denouncing the “bullying actions of the Myanmar military regime” on Twitter.

"I pay tribute to Kyaw Zwar Minn for his courage. The UK continues to call for an end to the coup and the appalling violence, and a swift restoration of democracy,” Raab said.

Zwar Minn had declared his opposition to the coup and issued a statement demanding the release of Suu Kyi, Myanmar's democratically elected leader.

He also met with Raab to condemn the atrocities by Myanmar’s military. The country’s state TV said he was being recalled for releasing an unauthorized statement.

At least 581 people in Myanmar have been killed since the country’s military staged a coup on Feb. 1 followed by a crackdown on pro-democracy protests, according to a Myanmar-based civil rights group.

As of April 6, a total of 2,750 people were in detention and 38 of them had been sentenced, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).