The United Nations will continue to recognize Myanmar civilian government’s UN Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun as the country’s representative after its General Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution to delay a decision on who will represent the country at the UN.
The resolution also included a delay on a decision on who will represent Afghanistan. As a result, the current ambassadors of both countries will continue in their positions.
The resolution was adopted without a vote after a meeting by the UN Credentials Committee, which is responsible for approving the diplomatic representatives of all UN member states, on Dec. 6.
The Credential Committee said it received two submissions for candidates to represent Myanmar at the 78th General Assembly. Both were dated Aug. 16. One was from the Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations in New York and the second was from the military junta’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Committee chair Jane Mugafalu Kabui Waetara proposed postponing consideration of the credentials for the representatives of Myanmar and Afghanistan and her proposal was adopted without a vote.
U Kyaw Moe Tun was appointed to his post before the Myanmar military ousted the government of the National League for Democracy on Feb. 1, 2021. Later that month, speaking from the floor of the UN, the ambassador rejected the military coup and expressed support for the civilian NUG, which was formed by elected lawmakers ousted in the coup along with representatives of ethnic groups.
Kyaw Moe Tun has been a key critic of the military junta and a reliable advocate for the anti-regime movement. The junta has tried to oust him and charged him with high treason, but he has refused to leave his position and has continued to be recognized at the UN.
He was the target of an assassination plot in 2021 and continues to call on the UN and the international community to help end the junta’s atrocities.
