Myanmar Ex-Ambassador Stands Trial for Residence Trespass
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- Kyaw Zwar Minn appeared in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on trespassing charges for occupying Myanmar House from May 2021 to November 2024 after his removal as ambassador, arguing the junta lacked legitimacy to evict him.
- Louise Oakley, the prosecutor, stated that Kyaw Zwar Minn lost his right to reside at Myanmar House once recalled by the military administration in April 2021 and instructed to vacate state property.
- David Perry, Kyaw Zwar Minn’s lawyer, contended that the Myanmar government post-coup was illegitimate and therefore could not lawfully terminate his client’s occupancy rights at the diplomatic address.
- Win Zeyar Tun, Myanmar’s chargé d’affaires in London, and Eleanor Mackewn of the UK Foreign Office gave evidence, underscoring the diplomatic tensions between recognizing the envoy’s stance and upholding formal protocols.
- The UK government declined to forcibly evict Kyaw Zwar Minn when requested by the junta, instead urging him to find alternative housing—a middle-ground approach that ultimately led to criminal charges due to his continued refusal.
Why it matters: The case forces the UK to choose between upholding diplomatic norms and avoiding tacit recognition of Myanmar’s military regime. By prosecuting a diplomat who defied an illegitimate government, Britain risks appearing complicit in normalizing the junta while legally bound by the Vienna Convention’s clear rules on diplomatic status.
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