By Eric Peters,
The head of Myanmar's delegation to the United Nations has called for further actions to stop "military atrocities" by the military-led government in his homeland, in response to ASEAN's condemnation of the junta following its summit earlier this month.
"To be very frank, it does still not meet our expectations," Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun said in a recent interview with Kyodo News, referring to the latest statement on Myanmar by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Kyaw Moe Tun was appointed as Myanmar's ambassador to the world body in New York about three months before the military seized power in the Southeast Asian country on Feb. 1, 2021, and has remained in his position despite the junta's efforts to dismiss him.
Naypyitaw notified the United Nations of a plan to replace him shortly after the coup. But for the past two years, the U.N. General Assembly has allowed Kyaw Moe Tun to continue attending meetings on his country's behalf while deferring the decision on whether to accredit the representative of Myanmar's junta.
Kyaw Moe Tun claims to represent the Southeast Asian country in constant consultation with the shadow civilian leadership, the National Unity Government.
"We thought that the member states of ASEAN could take strong and unified actions against the military...but it just hasn't happened yet," he said, citing the humanitarian situation in his country.
The 10-member bloc's statement asserted there has been "a lack of substantial progress" on implementing the five-point consensus peace plan agreed between Myanmar's military-led government and other ASEAN countries in 2021, and condemned acts of violence by the military.
At the summit, member countries agreed that the current, previous and incoming chairs of the ASEAN framework will work closely to deal with the Myanmar junta. Kyaw Moe Tun commended the move, as it will provide "continuity" in addressing the Myanmar issue.
The envoy, who has criticized the junta's acts of violence and suppression against the people of Myanmar, has been nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize. He was included by Henrik Urdal, chief of the Norway-based Peace Research Institute, on an unofficial shortlist of five top candidates for the award.
"We want the international community to help us in a concrete and effective way," Kyaw Moe Tun said. "Make sure that no one (is) left behind. Make sure that those who are in need receive assistance."
The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution in December 2022 requesting the release of "all arbitrarily detained prisoners" and calling for an end to "all forms of violence" in Myanmar.
Kyaw Moe Tun said he is asking the Security Council to impose sanctions on the sale of arms and jet fuel to the junta, block its sources of funding and create an accountability mechanism to provide justice for those who have perished at the hands of Myanmar's military.
"We, the international community, in particular the Security Council, cannot stop the military for their atrocities, cannot stop (them) committing massacres against the people," he said.
Kyaw Moe Tun has not spoken at the annual general debate session involving world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly. When asked whether he intended to deliver an address at the upcoming session scheduled for later this month, he said he has yet to make a decision.
With attention shifting to other crises, including the war in Ukraine, Kyaw Moe Tun urged the world not to lose sight of the people of Myanmar, saying the "intensity of the suffering" in his country has been as severe as in Ukraine.
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