Yangon, 29 August
The National Unity Government (NUG) issued a statement on August 28 saying that the military council’s decision to order the Timor-Leste diplomat to leave Myanmar was an improper and unlawful act.
According to NUG’s statement, an illegal group that has taken over the state’s power by force outside the boundaries of the law has no right to make decisions on matters of foreign diplomatic relations.
The military council’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed the charge d’affaires of the Embassy of East Timor in Yangon to leave before September 1 in opposition to Timor Leste’s engagement with the National Unity Government (NUG).
The military council said that despite repeated warnings to the Timor-Leste government not to deal with the NUG, the failure to stop engagement harms bilateral relations and encourages the NUG to carry out more violence.
The Government of Timor-Leste condemned the action of the military council, urged the junta army to respect human rights and resolve the current crisis peacefully, and announced on August 26 that it would continue to stand with the Myanmar people.
U Nay Phone Latt, the spokesperson of Prime Minister’s Office of National Unity Government (NUG), said, “Timor Leste’s statement shows that Timor Leste is on the same page with the people of Myanmar who are fighting against the military dictatorship.
“We will always keep this issue in mind, and when the revolution is over, we hope that one day, Myanmar and Timor-Leste will work together with the goal of achieving full democracy and human rights standards in the region and the entire world, and to prevent the emergence of authoritarian regimes again,” he said.
The CRPH and PDF, as well as the opposing group NUG, have been designated as terrorist organizations by the military council, while the NUG has also named the military-led coup military council as terrorist.
The NUG was officially invited by the President of Timor-Leste to represent Myanmar at the swearing-in ceremony of the 9th new government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste held on 1 July.
NUG Foreign Minister Daw Zin Mar Aung and NUG representative for the Czech Republic U Lin Thant attended the swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Palace.
As the military council announced its objection to the attendance, the head of the embassy of Timor-Leste in Yangon was summoned to Nay Pyi Taw, now leading to the termination of ties with the Timor-Leste.
According to political analyst U Than Soe Naing, “the military council’s severance of ties with Timor, which is attempting to join ASEAN, is a huge diplomatic issue. It demonstrates that the military council rejects a government that recognizes the NUG. This is illegal conduct, and the diplomatic community and governments all around the world are opposing it”.
Timor-Leste applied to become a member of ASEAN in 2011, and ASEAN agreed in principle to accept Timor as a member at last year’s ASEAN Summit.
However, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said on August 3 that Timor-Leste will not join ASEAN as long as Myanmar’s crises are not effectively resolved.
News: Than Lwin Times
Photo: Twitter
Thanlwintimes