Myanmar’s Illegal Junta Fails in Recognition Bid at UN General Assembly

Democratic National Unity Government Given UN Seat 

Press release by the Myanmar Accountability Project 

London, 14 December 2022: The Myanmar Accountability Project (MAP) has learned from diplomatic sources in New York that the United Nations (UN) has rejected the attempts by Myanmar’s illegal junta to seize the country’s seat at the world body. In rejecting the junta’s credentials, the UN has recognized those of the democratic, National Unity Government (NUG), and the right of its Ambassador, Kyaw Moe Tun, to occupy the UN seat as the legitimate representative of the people of Myanmar.  

“MAP joins other civil society organisations in welcoming this important move which has great diplomatic and symbolic significance, at a time when the illegal coup leaders are attempting to gain international recognition,” said MAP Director, Chris Gunness.   

“General Min Aung Hlaing has inflicted on the people of Myanmar violence of a scale not seen in southeast Asia since Pol Pot unleashed the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror on Cambodia. The junta’s murderous campaign against its own people reached a new low in July with the execution of four prominent prisoners of conscience which was widely condemned by the international community and led to further diplomatic isolation. To highlight this barbarity, we projected the image of Ko Jimmy onto the UK Houses of Parliament,” Gunness said. 

“We urge the UN to ensure that Ambassador, Kyaw Moe Tun is afforded ‘all rights and privileges’ and that the NUG is allowed to represent Myanmar in all UN bodies,” said MAP’s Protection Director, Damian Lilly. ”At present, there are glaring inconsistencies, with the NUG Ambassador sitting in the General Assembly, the junta’s agents at the International Court of Justice and Myanmar’s seat left empty at the UN Human Rights Council. This latest move must pave the way to resolving these anomalies which are depriving 55 million people in Myanmar of the opportunity to be represented at the UN by the government which they elected by a landslide in 2020.” 

According to General Assembly Resolution 396(V) (1950), when the question of a State’s representation at the UN “becomes the subject of controversy … the attitude adopted by the General Assembly [..] should be taken into account in other organs of the United Nations and in the specialised agencies”. 

In accordance with Resolution 396(V) MAP demands that the NUG’s representation   is implemented across the UN system. The people of Myanmar have suffered enough injustice and being deprived of the right to representation at the UN by their legitimate government deepens this injustice.  

Ends 

For interview requests, analysis and further information, please contact  

Chris Gunness on cgunness@outlook.com or on whatsapp – +447587698990 

Damian Lilly on damianlilly@yahoo.co.uk or on WhatsApp +258 85 217 35 31 

Note to editors: to illustrate this story, MAP is releasing the image below without copyright restriction. Please us the caption “Image of Ko Jimmy, executed by the Myanmar Junta projected onto the UK Houses of Parliament.” Please use the photo credit “the Myanmar Accountability Project, via Getty Images.