Kyaw Mo Tun, who remained loyal to the civilian government that was ousted on February 1st, gave a sensational speech to the rally on Friday.
“We need more strong measures from the international community to immediately end the military coup, stop the oppression of the innocent, restore state power to the people, and restore democracy,” he said.
The diplomat received a rare applause from his UN colleagues at the end of the speech.
The new US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas Greenfield, praised the envoy’s “courageous” remarks.
“The United States continues to strongly condemn the military coup in Myanmar,” she said in a speech to the gathering on Friday.
We condemn the brutal killing of unarmed security forces. “
Thomas Greenfield added that the United States “will continue to provide life-saving humanitarian aid, including the Rohingya and other vulnerable populations in the states of Chin, Kachin, Rakhine and Shan.”
“The world should commend Representative Kyaw Mo Tun’s courage in making such a strong statement on behalf of the people of Myanmar, not the illegal junta,” Akila Radhakrishnan, president of the Center for Global Justice, said in a statement on Friday.
“The international community should reward this courage by responding to their calls for immediate and decisive action to hold the army accountable,” he added.
Myanmar was in turmoil when the coup ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi has been arrested at her home in the capital since the coup.
The country has since witnessed 21 consecutive days of anti-army protests, with demonstrations in Mandalay and Yangon on Friday.
Earlier in the day, some protesters gathered peacefully in front of the Suu Kyi prayer house.
Military commanders imposed internet curfews as riots continued.
Police fired at least 10 shots in the air Thursday, according to local sources, in an attempt to disperse a crowd of protesters in Yangon.
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