NUG worried about impasse over Myanmar's representation at UN

YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's National Unity Government (NUG), formed by democratically elected politicians deposed in last year's military coup, is seeking official recognition at the 77th United Nations General Assembly this month.

"The UN must accept the NUG's delegation at every assembly and session, as well as through all other agencies," Dr. Tun-Aung Shwe, the NUG's representative in Australia, told the press.

"The international community must support the National Unity Government, which is the true representative body of Myanmar's people." The NUG represents the Myanmar people. The military junta is ineligible to represent the people of Myanmar at the United Nations."

The NUG was formed by politicians from the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) after army chief Min Aung Hlaing deposed them and imprisoned civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. As the military tightened its grip on opposition to its rule, the NUG organized into ministries. It strengthened alliances at home and abroad, but UN accreditation, which would allow them to participate in the organization entirely, remains elusive.

The UN announced in December 2021 that it had postponed a decision on Myanmar's representation, a failure that human rights advocates say has hampered the international response to the country's deteriorating situation and risks legitimizing the coup regime.