Myanmar's UN envoy has urged the United Nations to use "any means necessary" to stop a military coup there, making a surprise appeal on behalf of the ousted government as police cracked down on anti-junta protesters.
Kyaw Moe Tun addressed the 193-member UN General Assembly after Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' special envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, warned that no country should recognise or legitimise the Myanmar junta.
"We need further strongest possible action from the international community to immediately end the military coup, to stop oppressing the innocent people, to return the state power to the people and to restore the democracy," Kyaw Moe Tun said, to applause and praise from his counterparts.
Such an address, at odds with those in power in a country, is rare.
Kyaw Moe Tun appeared emotional as he read the statement on behalf of a group of elected politicians that he said represented the country's legitimate government.
He ended with a three-fingered salute used by protesters.
Ms Schraner Burgener pushed for a collective "clear signal in support of democracy" as she sounded the alarm over the coup, urging "influential" countries to push the military to allow an independent assessment of the situation.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army seized power and detained civilian government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party after the military complained of fraud in a November election.
"Regrettably, the current regime has so far asked me to postpone any visit. It seems they want to continue making large-scale arrests and have been coercing people to testify against the NLD government. This is cruel and inhumane," Ms Schraner Burgener said.
A man holds the placards calling for the release of detained Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi as rescue members in ambulances protest. Source: AAP
The country has been largely paralysed by weeks of protests and a civil disobedience campaign of strikes against the military.
While says authorities are using minimal force during the protests, three protesters and one policeman have been killed.
"If there is any escalation in terms of military crackdown - and sadly as we have seen this before in Myanmar - against people exercising their basic rights, let us act swiftly and collectively," Ms Schraner Burgener said.
The army has promised an election but has not given a date.
It has imposed a one-year state of emergency.
"It is important the international community does not lend legitimacy or recognition to this regime," Ms Schraner Burgener said.
"The result of the election of November 2020 was clear with 82 per cent of the votes for the NLD."
US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the United States "has and will continue to take actions in close coordination with allies and partners" to show the Myanmar military its actions have consequences.
China's UN ambassador Zhang Jun said the international community should respect Myanmar's sovereignty and "avoid intensifying tensions".
"China is engaging right now right now and communicating with relevant parties in Myanmar to facilitate de-escalating the situation and returning to normalcy at an early date," he said.
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