Democratic Government Retains UN Seat

Statement by Director of the Myanmar Accountability Project Chris Gunness

London, 9 September 2023

MAP welcomes the decision by the UN’s Credentials Committee to reject the credentials of the military regime and leave the democratic ambassador, Kyaw Moe Tun, in his seat. The nine-member committee’s decision in favour of Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) is all the more remarkable, as Russia and China, both close allies of the junta, are committee members.

Since the failed military coup in February 2021, MAP has advocated with key delegations in New York to ensure that the junta is not recognized. We appeal to other organs of the UN, such as the Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court, to allow the NUG to represent Myanmar.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, over four thousand people have been killed since February 2021 and nearly 25,000 detained. The UN’s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) says in its latest report that it has obtained evidence of mass executions of civilians and mass arson attacks and aerial bombardments of civilian property. The IIMM in its latest report says it has evidence that the military has destroyed entire villages. The UN estimates that nearly two million people have been displaced and according to the World Bank, a quarter of the country’s population has slipped below the poverty line.

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For further information and interview requests, please contact Chris Gunness by email on [email protected] or on WhatsApp on +447587698990