Portugal Colonial - Ousted Myanmar envoy charged with trespass in London residence row

Kyaw Zwar Minn, 66, faces a charge of diplomatic trespass and will appear before a court on May 30, London's Metropolitan Police said.

The case comes after diplomats close to the junta in April 2021 seized the embassy in central London. They refused access to Minn, a supporter of Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government overthrown by a coup in February that year.

Britain's Conservative government at the time indicated it would offer its protection to the ousted ambassador.

The then British foreign minister, Dominic Raab, condemned "the bullying actions of the Myanmar military regime in London" and paid tribute to Kyaw Zwar Minn for his "courage".

Minn's lawyer said after his client was questioned by police in 2023 that the residence remained the property of the Union of Myanmar.

"My client has always maintained that he is more than happy to hand over the keys to a representative of the democratically elected government of Myanmar," he added.

The 2021 coup plunged Myanmar into a conflict that has forced more than a million people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations, with thousands more arrested.

Myanmar's relations with the United Kingdom, the former colonial power, have deteriorated sharply since the military seized power.

It was not immediately clear if Minn was still living at the residence.

A.Motta--PC