Myanmar ambassador told to forfeit house

MYANMAR’S ousted ambassador to the UK has been ordered by the country’s military junta to leave his London residence or face prosecution by the new regime.

In a hand-delivered letter, Kyaw Zwar Minn, who was last week forced out of the Myanmar embassy at the orders of the regime, was told to leave the Hampstead house where he has lived with his family since his appointment in 2013.

In a move designed to strengthen the hand of officials loyal to the military government which ousted Aung San

Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s civilian leader, Mr Minn has been given until Thursday to leave.

The ambassador’s supporters say he has been kept under constant surveillance at the house by regime officials and is unable to leave the building for fear they will enter and bar him from returning.

Mr Minn was prevented from entering the embassy last Wednesday after the Mayfair building was seized by officials loyal to the junta.

A former military colonel, Mr Minn angered Myanmar’s military last month after he expressed his opposition to the Feb 1 coup and called publicly for the release of Ms Suu Kyi and ousted president Win Myint. One source, who asked not to be named, told The Daily Telegraph: “They are being watched all the time. They cannot leave the residence in case regime officials enter and lock them out. Now they have been ordered to leave.

“They need the help of the British government. If they go back home they risk being killed by the regime.”

A friend of the ambassador added: “They cannot sleep. They are very anxious about what will happen and who might try to break in at any time. We keep a watch all the time to stop the regime’s officials entering.”

The ambassador declined to comment.