7 December 2021: Myanmar must be consistently represented by appointees of the National Unity Government (NUG) throughout the United Nations (UN) system in keeping with the decision made by the UN General Assembly, says the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M).

The UN General Assembly decided yesterday, 6 December 2021, that His Excellency Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, the appointee of the NUG, continues to represent Myanmar in the UN. Although the illegal military junta in Myanmar sought to represent Myanmar in the General Assembly, it was denied by the 193 Member States of the UN. 

 “The United Nation’s decision confirms unequivocally that the junta does not represent the government of Myanmar in the eyes of the General Assembly,” said Marzuki Darusman of SAC-M. “The principled decision is of great importance for the people of Myanmar and for the credibility of the United Nations itself.”

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun has continued to represent Myanmar on behalf of the sole legitimate government since the military’s attempted coup in February. However, Myanmar has gone unrepresented in several UN forums in recent months, with bodies deferring to the General Assembly for guidance.

“The General Assembly is the UN’s primary representative political organ,” said Chris Sidoti of SAC-M. “Now that it has confirmed Kyaw Moe Tun will participate in the General Assembly on behalf of Myanmar for another year, there must be consistent representation across the UN system. That means appointees of the NUG – no empty seats and no members of the junta.” 

The military junta has tried to impose a military dictatorship on Myanmar through terror and violence for eleven months. Junta forces are engaging in terrorist acts, such as public executions and hostage-taking, and have launched large-scale military offensives in rural and ethnic areas that involve the shelling and torching of homes and denial of access to food and medical supplies for entire communities. Evidence of the junta’s violence shows a widespread and systematic attack on a civilian population amounting to crimes against humanity.

“Kyaw Moe Tun and other appointees of Myanmar’s democratically-elected representatives are the only ones who can speak for the people of Myanmar in the United Nations,” said Yanghee Lee of SAC-M. “The international community must listen very carefully and act accordingly to what the people of Myanmar are asking us to do. We cannot continue to fail the peoples of Myanmar as they struggle to free their country from the Tatmadaw’s violence, oppression and exploitation.”

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