Russia and China have reportedly agreed to allow Kyaw Moe Tun to retain Myanmar’s seat at the UN until he speaks at a high-level meeting.

No Myanmar representative is expected to address the UN’s high-level Annual General Assembly next week, a UN spokesperson said, amid rival demands for the country’s seat in UN in New York after a military coup overthrew the elected government.

“Myanmar is not speaking at this point,” UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said on Friday.

Myanmar’s current Ambassador to the UN Kyaw Moe Tun – appointed by the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi – was initially scheduled to address the 193-member General Assembly on Monday, the last day of the meeting.

But diplomats say China, Russia and the United States have come to an agreement that Moscow and Beijing will not object to Kyaw Moe Tun remaining at UN headquarters in Myanmar for the time being. until he speaks at the high-level meeting.

“I have stepped down from the list of speakers and will not speak in this general debate,” Kyaw Moe Tun told Reuters news agency, adding that he was aware of the agreement between some. members of the UN credentials committee, which includes Russia, China and the United States.

Myanmar’s military government proposed military veteran Aung Thurein as its envoy to the UN, while Kyaw Moe Tun asked to renew his UN accreditation, despite being the target of a conspiracy to kill him or injure him for his opposition to the February coup.

UN accreditation matters are handled by a committee of nine members, including the United States, China and Russia. It traditionally meets in October or November.

Until a decision is made by the Credentials Committee, Kyaw Moe Tun will remain in the seats, according to the rules of the General Assembly. The same rule also applies to the representative of Afghanistan.

News of Kyaw Moe Tun’s absence on Monday comes as violence linked to the February 1 coup continues to displace thousands of civilians from their homes.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since Aung San Suu Kyi’s government was overthrown by the military in February, sparking a nationwide uprising that the military tried to crush.

Attacks on the military escalated after lawmakers tabled by the generals called for a “people’s defensive war” earlier this month.

News of Kyaw Moe Tun’s absence on Monday comes as violence linked to the February 1 coup continues to displace thousands of civilians from their homes [File: Osamu Honda/AP]

The latest violence was reported in Chin State and Sagaing region in the northwest of the country, as soldiers engaged in fighting with local armed defense groups.

More than 1,100 civilians have been killed and nearly 8,000 arrested since the coup, according to local observers.

Coup leaders defended their takeover by alleging massive fraud in the late 2020 elections that Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won by landslide.

On Thursday, Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned of a human rights catastrophe under military rule in Myanmar and urged the international community to do more to prevent the conflict in the country to worsen.

“The national consequences are terrible and tragic – the regional consequences could also be profound,” she said in a statement.

“The international community must redouble its efforts to restore democracy and prevent a wider conflict before it is too late.