Latest news with #KyawZwarMinn
The Independent
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Why are the British courts handing a propaganda win to the Myanmar junta?
The case hardly registered in the UK media. The ousted Myanmar ambassador to London, Kyaw Zwar Minn, was summoned to Westminster Magistrates' Court on 30 May to face charges of trespassing in the ambassadorial residence. It was initiated by representatives in London of the junta that overthrew Myanmar's democratic government in February 2021. Following the coup, Mr Minn came out in support of the democracy movement. He was then locked out of the embassy by diplomats supportive of the junta. Since then they have waged a campaign of threats and intimidation against him and his family in an attempt to drive him from the diplomatic residence, Myanmar House, in Hampstead. But he remains there, a custodian of the house for Myanmar's democrats. The Attorney General, Lord Hermer, had the power not to authorise the case in the 'public interest'. He could have done so quietly before it came to court. He decided instead to authorise the prosecution and to allow a military cabal that has killed thousands of unarmed civilians to use the English courts to seek to expel from his house an ambassador hand-picked by the government led by the imprisoned democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. This is a U-turn for which the Labour government must be held to account. The UK's policy has been consistently to condemn the coup and in UN resolutions, including at the Security Council where the UK is the influential 'penholder', the UK government has repeatedly demanded respect for democracy and human rights. It has been the UK's policy, along with our major allies, to impose sanctions on the coup leaders and their cronies. It has been Britain's policy to speak out in support of a democratic transition. Lord Hermer's decision is upending this, undermining Britain's decades-long policy of supporting Burma's courageous democracy movement. This dates back to the 1988 student-led revolution that propelled Aung San Suu Kyi onto Burma's political stage and into the international spotlight. It is a betrayal of her and the people of Myanmar, along with their unshakable aspirations to live in a democratic state. Given Britain's responsibilities as a former colonial power, Lord Hermer's decision is shamefully ahistoric. Moreover, it is hard to comprehend how he imagines that it is in Britain's national interest to give the Myanmar junta a free pass into the English courts, particularly at a time when the UK's legal system, like all of Britain's public sector, is cash-strapped and overwhelmed. I urge parliamentarians on both sides of the house to raise questions about why the government is allowing an international pariah to use up precious public resources. Outside the confines of UK politics, Lord Hermer's decision sends deeply unhelpful messages to key audiences. The diplomatic community has so far refused to accept the credentials of the junta at the UN General Assembly, whose credentials committee has moved instead to allow the democratic ambassador to remain in his General Assembly seat. If Mr Minn is forced to leave Myanmar House, the junta will undoubtedly make hay with the decision, using it to bolster its battered public reputation. To those promoting international justice – such as the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, which has demanded an arrest warrant for the Burmese dictator, Min Aung Hlaing – the optics are outrageous: a democratic ambassador in the docks of an English court when it should be the junta that's on trial. Last but not least, it sends a signal to the people of Myanmar that Britain is an unreliable friend in this hour of unprecedented suffering. The UN estimates that 20 million people, a third of the country, are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. An additional two million have been profoundly impacted by the earthquakes at the end of March. Myanmar is facing a crisis of accountability. The junta is launching repeated indiscriminate and disproportionate air strikes in non-junta areas, including on civilian survivors of the earthquakes: atrocity crimes committed with complete impunity. We all have a responsibility to end this and close Myanmar's yawning accountability gap, in whichever way we can. The UK government and the Attorney General in particular have an opportunity to do the right thing and send a powerful signal that they stand by justice and accountability: and more important, that they stand by the embattled people of Myanmar.
Times
29-05-2025
- General
- Times
Lord Hermer criticised over trespass charge for ousted Myanmar envoy
The attorney-general has been criticised for authorising criminal charges against Myanmar's former ambassador for refusing to leave his official London residence after being ousted in a 'coup'. Lord Hermer approved the prosecution of Kyaw Zwar Minn for allegedly 'trespassing' at the mansion in Hampstead, north London, where he has remained since being dismissed in April 2021. Kyaw Zwar Minn, 66, was sacked as ambassador after denouncing his nations' military regime and supporting Aung San Suu Kyi, the civilian leader who was deposed in a coup. The attorney-general's office has approved a charge of 'trespass on a diplomatic mission' between May 2021 and November last year. Kyaw Zwar Minn, who still lives in the property, is due to appear at Westminster magistrates' court on Friday. The maximum sentence, if convicted, is six months in jail or an unlimited fine. Campaigners claim the prosecution will be used as propaganda by Myanmar's military regime as evidence of its international legitimacy and to terrorise opponents. Hermer, a human rights lawyer, will face allegations of hypocrisy. Eight months after Kyaw Zwar Minn was sacked, Hermer's barristers' chambers publicised that he was 'representing victims and survivors of the genocide perpetrated by the Myanmar regime' in a legal action against Facebook for allegedly 'facilitating' the abuse. Chris Gunness, director of the Myanmar Accountability Project, said: 'The British public will be outraged that a Labour attorney-general is allowing precious taxpayer resources to be wasted by a foreign junta using the UK courts to seize diplomatic property in London. 'It is clearly not in our national interest, given that the UK has condemned the coup, slapped sanctions on the coup leaders and supports democracy in Myanmar.' Kyaw Zwar Minn, a former colonel in the Myanmar army, was locked out of the embassy in Mayfair, central London, in April 2021. The ambassador said he had stopped obeying orders after being summoned home following his criticism after the junta seized control of his country. Dominic Rabb, the foreign secretary at the time, said: 'I pay tribute to Kyaw Zwar Minn for his courage.' Nigel Adams, then Asia minister, hailed Kyaw Zwar Minn's 'courage and patriotism'. Lisa Nandy, then shadow foreign secretary and now culture secretary, said at the time: 'By standing up to the military junta, Kyaw Zwar Minn has shown immense courage and should be offered any appropriate support and protection.' Most democratic nations, including Britain, have not formally recognised the junta. Catherine West, the current minister for the Indo-Pacific, announced fresh sanctions against the military regime in October last year as a result of 'human rights violations taking place across Myanmar, including airstrikes on civilian infrastructure'. The Foreign Office said in 2021 that it received official notification from the military regime that the ambassador's position had been terminated. 'The UK has a longstanding policy of recognising states not governments,' it said. 'We therefore must accept the decision taken by the Myanmar government regarding Kyaw Zwar Minn's position.'
The Star
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
UK charges exiled former envoy with trespass
British police charged Myanmar's former ambassador to the United Kingdom with trespassing on a diplomatic residence in London that he has refused to leave since being ousted for opposing Myanmar's 2021 military coup. Kyaw Zwar Minn was locked out of his embassy a few months after the February 2021 coup and was later replaced by the junta's representatives, after calling for the release of Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Since his protest, praised by the British government at the time, Minn has stayed at the northwest London ambassador's residence, a mansion surrounded by razor wire and CCTV cameras. He has refused to hand it back to the embassy, which he says is now run by representatives of an illegitimate government. London's police said Minn was charged last week with trespassing on a diplomatic premises. He must appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on May 30, the police said. Minn declined to comment. Britain's Foreign Office and Myanmar's embassy in London did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Britain has urged Minn to leave the residence, citing pressure from the junta, Reuters has previously reported. Chris Gunness of rights group Myanmar Accountability Project urged Britain's attorney general to intervene to stop the case. 'It is clearly not in our national interest to allow a junta which the UK has condemned and sanctioned to take over diplomatic property in London, not least because it undermines Britain's policy of supporting democracy in Myanmar,' he said. — Reuters
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ousted Myanmar envoy charged with trespass in London residence row
Ousted Myanmar envoy charged with trespass in London residence row (Photo: AFP) Myanmar's ex-ambassador to London has been charged with trespass for refusing to leave his ambassadorial residence, police said Wednesday, after he was stripped of his post by the military junta following a 2021 coup. Kyaw Zwar Minn , 66, faces a charge of diplomatic trespass and will appear before a court on May 30, London's Metropolitan Police said. The case comes after diplomats close to the junta in April 2021 seized the embassy in central London. They refused access to Minn, a supporter of Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government overthrown by a coup in February that year. Britain's Conservative government at the time indicated it would offer its protection to the ousted ambassador. The then British foreign minister, Dominic Raab, condemned "the bullying actions of the Myanmar military regime in London" and paid tribute to Kyaw Zwar Minn for his "courage". Minn's lawyer said after his client was questioned by police in 2023 that the residence remained the property of the Union of Myanmar. "My client has always maintained that he is more than happy to hand over the keys to a representative of the democratically elected government of Myanmar," he added. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Want Lower Bills Without Changing a Thing? elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Learn More Undo The 2021 coup plunged Myanmar into a conflict that has forced more than a million people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations, with thousands more arrested. Myanmar's relations with the United Kingdom, the former colonial power, have deteriorated sharply since the military seized power. It was not immediately clear if Minn was still living at the residence.
France 24
14-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Ousted Myanmar envoy charged with trespass in London residence row
Kyaw Zwar Minn, 66, faces a charge of diplomatic trespass and will appear before a court on May 30, London's Metropolitan Police said. The case comes after diplomats close to the junta in April 2021 seized the embassy in central London. They refused access to Minn, a supporter of Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government overthrown by a coup in February that year. Britain's Conservative government at the time indicated it would offer its protection to the ousted ambassador. The then British foreign minister, Dominic Raab, condemned "the bullying actions of the Myanmar military regime in London" and paid tribute to Kyaw Zwar Minn for his "courage". Minn's lawyer said after his client was questioned by police in 2023 that the residence remained the property of the Union of Myanmar. "My client has always maintained that he is more than happy to hand over the keys to a representative of the democratically elected government of Myanmar," he added. The 2021 coup plunged Myanmar into a conflict that has forced more than a million people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations, with thousands more arrested. Myanmar's relations with the United Kingdom, the former colonial power, have deteriorated sharply since the military seized power. It was not immediately clear if Minn was still living at the residence.
