The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of National Unity of Myanmar (formerly Burma), the opposition, considered this Monday “illegal” the expulsion of the Timorese business manager in Rangoon by the military junta that took power in February 2021.
The opposition to the National Defense and Security Council, made up of military members of the coup, stressed in a statement to which Lusa had access that, “being an illegal organization that seized power in the country through the use of force, the junta has no authority to make decisions related to the diplomatic relations of the State”.
“The expulsion of the Timorese charge d’affaires from Myanmar is a customary, illegal and improper act of the illegitimate military junta,” states the statement 16/2023, of August 28, drawn up by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE) of the Government of Myanmar National Unity, on letterhead with the official insignia.
The opposition to the military junta also affirms that “Timor-Leste’s firm position as a good friend will always be deeply remembered”, for which its “sincere gratitude will be permanently inscribed in the hearts of the Government of National Unity and the people of Myanmar”. . .
Last Saturday, the Myanmar military junta ordered the expulsion of the East Timorese chargé d’affaires in Rangoon, in protest at the recent positions taken by the Timorese authorities on that country.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, requests the charge d’affaires of the embassy of the Democratic Republic of East Timor, Mr. Avelino Fernandes Ximenes Pereira, to leave Myanmar no later than September 1”, refers to a note from the board’s diplomacy to which Lusa had access.
In reaction, the President of the Timorese Republic, José Ramos-Horta, considered that East Timor should be proud, because the expulsion is a response to the defense of human rights.
“It is one of those situations of which we are proud. For acts of coherence in denouncing military coups and denouncing serious crimes, crimes against humanity, and if our business manager is expelled for this reason, it is a reason to be proud,” he stressed. .
The head of state assured, on the other hand, that East Timor continues to support the position of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the organization’s efforts to resolve the situation in Myanmar.
“Timor-Leste does not have a position different from that of ASEAN, which is to condemn the military coup, the massacres of the civilian population, of women and children. And the military responsible is just as responsible for the crimes against humanity in Myanmar as Putin is, for crimes against humanity in Ukraine,” said Ramos Horta before the expulsion of the Timorese diplomat.
“We call on the various governments of the international community that respect and value democratic principles, human rights values and norms and embrace humanitarianism, to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar, as Timor-Leste has done, and provide I support Myanmar to return to the path of democracy”, underlines and concludes the statement of the opposition in Myanmar.
Myanmar is the scene of a violent civil conflict, which has already caused more than 3,000 deaths and hundreds of thousands of displaced people, since the February 1, 2021 coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi.
At the end of July, the ruling military junta, headed by Min Aung Hlaing, extended the state of emergency for six months, postponing the elections scheduled for August, considering that the ongoing fighting and attacks in the Sagaing regions (northwest ), Magway and Bago (center) and Tanintharyi (south) made it impossible to hold the plebiscite.
The United Nations Security Council – with the exception of China and Russia – last week condemned the violence and the death of civilians in Myanmar and again urged the military junta to end the attacks, as well as to release the leader overthrown, Aung San Suu Kyi. and respect human rights.
Source: TSF
