Myanmar ambassador to UK says he is locked out of embassy as he reportedly spends night in his car

The foreign secretary has condemned Myanmar’s “bullying military regime” after the country’s ambassador to London was locked out of his embassy.

Kyaw Zwar Minn reportedly spent the night in his car after being barred from the building in London’s Mayfair on Wednesday evening.

In a statement read on his behalf on Thursday morning, a spokesman said the embassy had been seized by a military attaché, and the ambassador had been “locked out”.

The spokesman added: “There was a coup in Myanmar (and) now a similar situation in central London.”

Embassy staff are being threatened with “severe punishment” if they do not work for the military junta that seized power in Myanmar on 1 February, he said.

The UK has been told that Myanmar’s regime has formally terminated the ambassador’s appointment, the PA news agency reported.

But no formal notification of his replacement is said to have been received.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab tweeted: “We condemn the bullying actions of the Myanmar military regime in London yesterday, and I pay tribute to Kyaw Zwar Minn for his courage.

“The UK continues to call for an end to the coup and the appalling violence, and a swift restoration of democracy.”

Since the coup, security forces in Myanmar have reportedly killed hundreds of protesters and bystanders in a violent crackdown.

Kyaw Zwar Minn’s spokesman said the ambassador was taking the “unusual step” of “issuing a joint statement with the UK foreign office in condemning the coup”.

Mr Zwar Minn was recalled to Myanmar in March and has since stopped following instructions from the country’s foreign ministry, the spokesman added.

The ambassador is calling for the release of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi and ousted President Win Myint.

He also wants democracy to be reinstated in Myanmar and the result of the 2020 election to be respected.

© Sky News 2021