The Mayfair coup
Myanmar’s man in London forced to sleep in his Volvo after military kicks him out of residence
DOMINIC Raab has slammed the ‘bullying’ military junta in Myanmar for locking the country’s ambassador out of its embassy in London – forcing him to sleep in his car.
Kyaw Zwar Minn remained shut out of the building in Mayfair last night and was flanked by police as he stood on the pavement decrying his dismissal.
He spent Wednesday night in the back of his Volvo XC60 SUV, which he adorned with a picture of Myanmar’s detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi draped across the back windscreen.
With nowhere left to go after being ejected from his residence, he now fears for his life if he returns to Myanmar – where a bloody military coup has seen scores of civilians indiscriminately killed.
Yesterday Mr Zwar Minn said he believed the move to oust him was a ‘formal reprisal’ for anti-junta comments he made last month. He said he is now being treated as a ‘traitor’ by the ruling militia but has not yet decided if he will seek political asylum in Britain. Asked whether he would return home, he said: ‘Do you want to see me get killed?’
He added: ‘This kind of coup is happening in the middle of the UK. It shouldn’t be happening.’
The Foreign Office yesterday criticised the callous treatment of the ex-ambassador. Mr Raab said: ‘We condemn the bullying actions of the Myanmar military regime in London yesterday, and I pay tribute to Kyaw Zwar Minn for his courage. The UK continues to call for an end to the coup and the appalling violence, and a swift restoration of democracy.’
But a Foreign Office spokesman said its hands were tied, as the UK ‘has a longstanding policy of recognising states, not governments’.
He added: ‘We made clear in our communications with the Myanmar authorities last night [that we] must receive formal notification of the termination of the ambassador’s position through the appropriate diplomatic channels.
‘That has since been received and we therefore must accept the decision taken by the Myanmar government regarding Kyaw Zwar Minn’s position.’
The UK is now dealing with Mr Zwar Minn’s deputy, but a formal replacement is yet to be announced. It comes after Mr Zwar Minn cut ties with the junta last month, calling for deposed leader Miss Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint to be released.
Nobel peace prize-winner Miss Suu Kyi, 75, is facing up to 23 years in prison after being accused of bribery, breaking anti-coronavirus rules and possessing a foreign walkie-talkie.
Last week she was also accused of breaking the nation’s equivalent of the Official Secrets Act.
The coup in Myanmar has been condemned by the Western world, with leaders calling for democracy to be restored. It is believed up to 600 civilians have been killed by security forces in a two-month crackdown on protestors – with fears of all-out civil war.
Mr Zwar Minn said: ‘Please assist our country and help our country because without the international assistance we can’t get out of this kind of mess.’ A group of demonstrators have lined the street in front of the door chanting slogans in Burmese, and waving signs.
They held placards emblazoned with slogans including ‘stop bloody brutal killings to own civilians’ and ‘Myanmar do not want military dictatorship.’
A witness said the ex-ambassador tried to get in once again yesteday morning but failed to get past police, who still remain positioned outside the embassy.
Flowers, signs and photographs of killed civilians, including dozens of children, have been placed outside the building.
Mr Raab has previously expressed his admiration for the ex-ambassador, who has been in London since 2013.
When Mr Zwar Minn denounced the junta last month, he said the ambassador showed ‘courage and patriotism’. And when the regime demanded his recall, Mr Raab backed his staying in London.