Protesters in Yangon hold the head of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 26.
The coup in Burma has sparked continued protests, with news that Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been transferred to secret detention by the military. Recently, Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations Kyaw Moe Tun publicly announced his break with the military government and called on the international community to take strong action to immediately end the coup by the military.
The coup by the Burmese military on Feb. 1 has led to tensions in the country, with people from all walks of Life, including government officials, health care workers, teachers, airlines, railroads and the performing arts, taking to the streets to protest and demand that the military release Aung San Suu Kyi and other officials and stop the coup.
On the morning of Feb. 26, unarmed protesters, including a Japanese journalist, were arrested after Burmese military police fired on peaceful protesters near Yangon University to disperse them.
People in Yangon take to the streets in protest on February 26.
Burmese military police fire tear gas canisters at protesters in Yangon on February 27.
Burmese military and police arrest protesters in Yangon on Feb. 27.
Burmese military and police arrest protesters in Yangon on Feb. 27.
However, Burmese people continue to protest despite the military’s violent crackdown, and call for international solidarity. Currently, the United States, Britain, Canada and other countries have imposed sanctions on Burmese military personnel and demanded that the military release the arrested people and return their power.
On the 26th, Myanmar Now reported that an official from the National League for Democracy (NLD) revealed that Aung San Suu Kyi had been sent to another secret location six days ago and that “we no longer know where she is being detained.”
Another NLD official also confirmed that Aung San Suu Kyi had been secretly transferred.
The Burmese military had previously confirmed that it had arrested Aung San Suu Kyi and placed her under house arrest. The military has not yet responded to the transfer of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s detention.
On the same day, Myanmar’s ambassador to the UN, Kyaw Moe Tun, publicly announced his break with the military regime at the UN General Assembly and called on the international community to put an immediate end to the coup in Myanmar.
Kyaw Moe Tun’s speech, which lasted about 12 minutes, said, “We need the international community to take strong action to immediately end the military coup, end the military regime’s oppression of innocent people, and return power to the people!”
On the 26th, Myanmar Ambassador to the UN Kyaw Moe Tun publicly announced his break with the military regime at the UN General Assembly and demanded that the international community immediately end the coup in Myanmar. (Video screenshot)
He concluded his speech in Burmese, “We continue to fight for a democratically elected government of the people, on behalf of the people, and for the people!”
At the same Time, he held out three fingers, a protesting gesture of the Burmese protesters, representing opposition to dictatorship and a call for democracy.
At the end of Kyaw Maung Tun’s speech, the UN room erupted in thunderous applause, and other speakers paid tribute to him.
The new U.S. ambassador, Thomas Greenfield, said to the Burmese ambassador. Greenfield said to the Burmese ambassador, “I salute your courageous statement.”
Secretary of State John Blinken also tweeted his appreciation for the Burmese ambassador’s “clear and courageous” statement.
In 2011, Libya’s ambassador to the UN took the stage to make a statement publicly breaking with the Qaddafi dictatorship, the most recent of which was reported by RFE/RL as a rare case of an ambassador standing up to his country’s regime from the UN podium.
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