Kyaw Moe Tun is now effectively flying solo, he says, unable to contact detained civilian government leaders but determined to keep the spotlight on Myanmar as pro-democracy protesters face bloody repression at home. His elderly parents, who still live in Myanmar, have also been unreachable since his February 26 speech, but he says he knows through other channels that they are encouraging him.
His interview with Ondertussen on Monday has been shortened and made clear.
What is it like to be posted here in New York with an overthrow of the government at home?
In Myanmar, we have three “pillars” against the military coup and against the military regime: first, the protesters, who are on the streets risking their lives to go against the security forces. At the same time, we have another pillar, namely the CDM: the civil disobedience movement. And at the same time, the CRPH (a parliamentary committee in exile) also works. So my role here, however, is that I can help those three pillars to get stronger and stronger.
This is how you could look at (my speech) on February 26th. I knew that no document would come out of the meeting because it was an informal meeting. But I really wanted to maximize the positive impact of the meeting on the people of Myanmar. That is why I gave the speech.
Was it a tough decision?
It’s a very rare decision for a career diplomat. The decision I made is of course a very difficult one, but at the same time the people of Myanmar want a democracy.
Since February 1 it has been quite difficult for me to be here. When the military coup came in and they had the military council, of course, their instructions came here and there, and they asked us to do this and that. To be very fair, we prepared a statement and then submitted it to the head office and they provided an edited version.
But I wanted to contribute to the people of Myanmar, so the statement I made had to reflect the real situation on the ground. I didn’t want to make a statement that was far from reality.
In your speech, the world was asked to “use all means” to end the coup. What does that mean? Military intervention?
Yes, of course it could be. But it is very difficult to get a military intervention because the decision of a country to send military personnel to another country is not that simple – it is very difficult. I know, but the request from our people in Myanmar is very clear: we need the protection of the international community in whatever way they can help us. We do not want any further loss of life for our brothers and sisters in Myanmar; we want real action, very powerful action that can stop the brutal acts of the military.
What role does China play here?
They have said to focus more on dialogue. But how can we have that dialogue while our leaders are in detention? Whenever we engage in dialogue, there must be a level playing field.
What are you asking now of the United States and the international community?
I appeal to the international community to help us in every way possible. Many of us in the country, especially those young, young people who are on the streets, are helpless. And not only they, but all of us – all the people of Myanmar – feel helpless too.
My goal here is to fight back the military regime for as long as I can, and to end the military coup. … Our democracy was just a democracy in the making and then the military came to set it back 40 or 50 years. Democracy must prevail. Democracy must prevail.