London
The ousted Myanmar ambassador to the UK has urged the British Government to help him as he faces being evicted from his residence by the country’s military regime.
Kyaw Zwar Minn, who was last week forced out of the Myanmar embassy at the orders of the junta, was told to leave by Thursday the London house where he has lived with his family since his appointment in 2013 or face prosecution.
The military regime – which seized power on Feb 1, paving the way for a bloody suppression of all civilian opposition – appears determined to extract revenge on the ambassador for daring to criticise the coup.
Now he has urged Boris Johnson’s government to intervene and offer protection to him and his family.
Speaking outside his residence in Hampstead he said: “I say to the British Government help me, help me, help me. I am hoping they will do so over the next few days.”
The ambassador and his supporters say they will not leave the building voluntarily and have vowed to resist any attempt by officials loyal to the military junta to force him out.
Kyaw Zwar Minn told reporters gathered outside the padlocked gates of the residence: “I will be staying here.
I am not going anywhere. Last time they seized the embassy and locked me out, so I am not going anywhere.”
Supporters of the ousted ambassador have been sleeping with pepper spray by their beds in anticipation of regime loyalists breaking into his residence to evict him and are only letting those they trust through the padlocked gates.
One, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals against his family in Myanmar, told The Telegraph: “We are all terrified they will try to force their way into the residence to evict the ambassador.
We are staying here to support the ambassador and his family. The regime is illegitimate and has no right to take this building, which belongs to the people of Myanmar.”
Outside the residence the Myanmar flag was being flown at half mast as inside the ambassador’s staff anticipated the prospect of regime loyalists attempting to break in and seize control.—AP
