The Myanmar ambassador to the United Kingdom is no longer allowed to enter the embassy in London, because he does not support the army coup at the beginning of February. According to insiders, the deputy ambassador and a military attaché locked him out and took over the ambassador’s post on behalf of the military rulers.
Ambassador to London Kyaw Zwar Minn broke with the military junta in recent weeks and called for the release of deposed head of government Aung San Suu Kyi. On Wednesday, the ambassador told the news agency Reuters that he was locked out. “It’s a kind of coup in the heart of London,” he said just in front of the embassy building. “You can see they have occupied my building.” The ambassador said he is in consultation with the British Foreign Office.
Four diplomatic sources state that Deputy Ambassador Chit Win has taken charge of the embassy and that he and the military attaché have shut the ambassador out. The ambassador spoke to protesters in front of the embassy building. When Kyaw Zwar Minn called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi last month, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab praised his courage.
“This is my building. I have to go in. That’s why I’m waiting here,” the ambassador told reporters. The British Foreign Office said it is currently investigating the situation at the Myanmar embassy.
UN ambassador also opposes army coup
Kyaw Zwar Minn is not the first Myanmar diplomat to clash with the military junta. UN ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun has also spoken out against the army coup. He called for international sanctions against the military regime. When the military wanted to replace him, Kyaw Moe Tun refused to give up his post, stating that he represents Myanmar’s democratically elected government.
The Myanmar army staged a coup on February 1 after the democratic party of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi won elections in November. The army arrested members of the civilian government and accused Aung San Suu Kyi and her party of electoral fraud, among other things.
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