Myanmar UN ambassador fired

YANGON: Myanmar's UN ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun has been fired, state television said on Saturday, a day after he urged the United Nations to use “any means necessary” to reverse the February 1 military coup.Kyaw Moe Tun had told the UN General Assembly he was speaking on behalf of the ousted civilian government of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

State television, MRTV, said he had “betrayed the country and spoken for an unofficial organisation which doesn't represent the country and had abused the power and responsibilities of an ambassador”. The country has been shaken by a wave of protests since a coup toppled civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1.

Authorities have ramped up the use of force to suppress dissent, deploying tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse some protests. Live rounds have been used in isolated cases.

In Myanmar’s biggest city Yangon on Saturday, police used rubber bullets to disperse a demonstration at Myaynigone junction, the site of an hours-long standoff the day before.