Naypyidaw seeks arrest of Kyaw Moe Tun as global rallies call for him to remain Myanmar’s UN Ambassador

Myanmar regime seeks arrest of UN Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun The regime’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Saturday that it is seeking the arrest of Burma’s Permanent Representative to the U.N., Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, on six charges through INTERPOL and the United States National Central Bureau, which coordinates law enforcement activities between U.S. agencies and their international counterparts. Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun is facing charges from the regime in Nypyidaw under Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act for communicating with two groups representing lawmakers elected in 2020 but ousted during the 2021 military coup: the National Unity Government (NUG) and the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH). Both groups of lawmakers have been declared “unlawful and terrorist organizations” by the regime following the 2021 coup. Kyaw Moe Tun was charged under Section 122(2) of the Penal Code for “high treason.” Additional charges have been filed against him under Section 124-A of the Penal Code for “sedition”, the Counter-Terrorism Law, and Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law. ISP-Myanmar marks 100 days of detention for Min Zinin China The Institute for Strategy and Policy (ISP-Myanmar) issued a public statement marking 100 days since its executive director, Min Zin, was “wrongfully detained” by Chinese authorities. Min Zin, a naturalized U.S. citizen and prominent Burma-China scholar, was taken into custody on June 3, while traveling to Kunming, Yunnan Province, to attend an academic workshop. The think tank warned that the ongoing detention of an independent researcher severely risks damaging Beijing’s long-term diplomatic strategy. Chinese authorities have accused Min Zin of “engaging in espionage” and “endangering national security”—charges strongly rejected by his family, ISP-Myanmar, and international advocacy groups, including Human Rights Watch and Fortify Rights. On Aug. 20, the U.S. Department of State formally designated Min Zin as “wrongfully detained,” which legally mandates Washington to prioritize securing his release. However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry explicitly rejected the U.S. classification the following day, insisting that Beijing acts under the rule of law and alleging that Min Zin’s activities violated Chinese national security statutes. Global rallies in support of UN Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun over weekend Burma nationals and pro-democracy supporters in Japan and South Korea held a rally on Sunday in support of Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun’s campaign to remain Burma’s Permanent Representative to the U.N.—one day after the regime in Naypyidaw announced that it was seeking an international warrant for his arrest. “The regime is now making every effort to seize Myanmar’s seat at the U.N. But Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun is the only person who can convey the genuine voice of the people of Myanmar to the U.N. and the international community,” Saw Ba Hla Thein, the National Unity Government (NUG) representative to Japan, told DVB. A rally to support U.N. Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun was also held in South Korea after a screening of RAY: The Movie at a cinema in Bupyeong District, Incheon, on Sept. 13. In London, Aung San Suu Kyi’s son Kim Aris addressed a rally for Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun outside the U.K. Houses of Parliament on Sept. 12. News by Region ARAKAN/CHIN—The United League of Arakan (ULA) stated on Wednesday that Grade 12 students living in territory under Arakan Army (AA) control are now able to study the Rakhine language as a language of instruction, as well as a course, starting this academic year that began in July. A teacher in Paletwa Township, which was seized by the AA in 2024, told DVB on the condition of anonymity that students can choose to study Burmese language as a course in Grade 12 if they don’t want to learn Rakhine. The language of instruction for students Grade 1-11 is Burmese. KACHIN—A total of 151 military personnel, including 118 soldiers, were taken as prisoners of war, according to the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) following its attacks on Burma Navy vessels on the Irrawaddy River on Sept. 2. A source in the KIA told DVB that 33 prisoners are military family members. This includes 17 women, eight adults, and eight children. The youngest child is four-months-old. The KIA source added that all prisoners of war are being interrogated at a “secure” location with all being treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. SAGAING—At least four civilians were killed and 15 others were injured in an airstrike carried out by the Burma Air Force in Kanbalu Township’s Kyauklonegyi village on Friday. Kanbalu, located 104 miles (167 km) north of the region’s capital Monywa, has been partially controlled by resistance forces since 2022. A Kanbalu resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity that there was no ongoing fighting between regime and resistance forces during the airstrike. A previous airstrike killed one civilian in neighboring Mandalay Region’s Thabeikkyin Township on Sept. 10. Thabeikkyin is located 90 miles (144 km) north of Mandalay.