Myanmar regime revokes citizenship of more resistance figures

By DMG 02 Apr 2022

DMG Newsroom
2 April 2022, Sittwe 

Myanmar’s military regime on Friday revoked the citizenship of 17 more people including well-known opposition figures and ministers of the shadow National Unity Government (NUG), bringing the known tally of such individuals to 28. 

The regime said it had terminated their citizenship under the 1982 Citizenship Law because they had “violated the existing laws of the State and left the country illegally [and] were found to be committing acts that could harm the interests of Myanmar.” 

In early March, the regime revoked the citizenship of 11 well-known opposition figures including NUG ministers and prominent leader of the 88 Generation student movement Ko Min Ko Naing. 

Among those who have had their citizenship stripped by the junta are Myanmar Ambassador to United Nations U Kyaw Moe Tun; eight NUG officials; five celebrities; Myanmar Ambassador to the United Kingdom U Kyaw Swar Min and an embassy staffer in London; the Myanmar Embassy in Washington’s secretary, U Maung Maung Latt, and eight embassy staffers; and three political activists. 

“As the regime is not the legitimate government, their order of citizenship termination is not legal. The Section 16 that they cited [in the termination order] is also irrelevant,” NUG Human Rights Minister U Aung Myo Min wrote on his Facebook page. 

Section 16 of the 1982 Citizenship Law, which was enacted under the previous military dictatorship headed by U Ne Win, states: “A citizen who leaves the State permanently, or who acquires the citizenship of or registers himself as a citizen of another country, or who takes out a passport or a similar certificate of another country, ceases to be a citizen.” 

Opposition figures were also forced into exile under past military regimes, noted political activist Ko Thura. 

“This is not the first time political activists have had to flee the country. It happened in a previous coup. They will be able to return depending on the political situation in the country,” he told DMG. 

The regime announced last year that it had sacked U Kyaw Moe Tun as Myanmar’s ambassador to the UN, after he delivered an impassioned denunciation of the February 2021 coup during a speech before the world body. He has continued to represent Myanmar, however, in defiance of the junta’s attempted ouster.