No official representing Myanmar will address the United Nations General Assembly Monday, a reversal of what was previously scheduled, Reuters reports.
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Why it matters: The last-minute compromise comes amid competing claims for the country’s U.N. seat after a military coup last February ousted Myanmar’s democratically elected government from power.
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The decision comes after the U.S., China, and Russia reached an agreement in which Myanmar’s U.N. ambassador, Kyaw Moe Tun, could stay in his position for the time being so long as he did not address the gathering, per Reuters.
The big picture: Kyaw Moe Tun, an appointee of the toppled government, was scheduled to speak before the assembly Monday, but no longer appears on the lineup, per the New York Times.
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“I withdrew from the speaker list, and will not speak at this general debate,” Kyaw Moe Tun told Reuters.
Of note: Afghanistan is also now subject to competing claims to its U.N. seat.
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Earlier this week the Taliban nominated a new envoy, Mohammad Suhail Shaheen, and asked to address the assembly in place of the current accredited ambassador Ghulam Isaczai, an appointee of the previous government.
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When a UN seat is disputed, the General Assembly’s nine-member Credentials Committee is tasked with making a decision, but the group has not been able to meet and discuss the issue in time, per the Times.
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“For now, the Afghanistan representative inscribed on the list for Monday is Mr. Ghulam M. Isaczai,” Dujarric told Reuters.
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