NLD urges UN to retain Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun ahead of credentials decision

The ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) party has issued an open letter to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) urging member states to maintain Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun as Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the UN. The statement comes as the U.N. Credentials Committee prepares to assess member state representation disputes following the high-level debate in New York. The NLD—which governed Myanmar from 2016 until the February 2021 military coup—emphasized that retaining Kyaw Moe Tun reflects the democratic will and fundamental human rights aspirations of the Myanmar population rather than serving individual political interests. Legal Framework and UN Resolution 396 (V) In its open letter published on Wednesday, the NLD invoked historic U.N. precedent to argue against recognizing military authority based solely on physical territorial control: The NLD referenced UNGA Resolution 396 (V)—adopted in 1950 during conflicting representation disputes—which stipulates that when rival authorities claim a state’s U.N. seat, the decision must be guided by the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter and the specific circumstances of the case. It argued that the U.N. must reject the regime’s bid due to ongoing human rights violations, including indiscriminate airstrikes against non-combatants, alongside the U.N. Special Envoy Julie Bishop’s assessment that the regime’s 2025–26 electoral process lacks opposition inclusion, legitimacy, and monitoring. The regime’s Union Election Commission (UEC) officially dissolved the NLD party due to it not re-registering in March 2023 despite most of the party’s senior officials being detained during the Feb. 1, 2021 military coup and its members being forces into hiding either underground or in exile to avoid arrest and persecution. Five-Year Diplomatic Stalemate Kyaw Moe Tun was appointed to the U.N. post in 2020 by the NLD-led administration under State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. Following his public opposition to the coup during a UNGA address on February 26, 2021, he retained his seat due to successive annual deferrals by the UN Credentials Committee, despite repeated attempts by Naypyidaw to replace him with former military colonel Aung Thurein. UN Credentials Dispute Chronology (2021–2026) ├── Feb 26, 2021 : Kyaw Moe Tun denounces military coup at UNGA Plenary ├── May 12, 2021 : Regime nominates former colonel Aung Thurein to take UN seat ├── 2021–2025 : UN Credentials Committee repeatedly defers decision, leaving Kyaw Moe Tun in place ├── Sept 13: Naypyidaw announces formal "revocation" of status & files misconduct charges └── Sept 19: Worldwide diaspora rallies endorse Kyaw Moe Tun as "True Voice of Myanmar" Despite the regime’s Sept. 13 announcement revoking his diplomatic status and levying criminal charges, Kyaw Moe Tun reaffirmed to DVB in New York that he has maintained fully audited financial records and maintains a clear conscience. Supported by global solidarity rallies and formal endorsements from the National Unity Government (NUG), the NLD, and civil society networks, Kyaw Moe Tun stated that conditions remain favorable for him to continue representing Myanmar for a sixth consecutive year. The post NLD urges UN to retain Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun ahead of credentials decision appeared first on DVB.