On 9 May, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Myanmar at the United Nations made a statement at the 2026 Global Compact for Migration review urging the international community to recognize the military junta as the main cause of mass displacement in the country, forcing over 3.6 million people to flee their homes internally and 1.3 million across borders since the 2021 coup.
Myanmar reaffirms our commitment to the principles and objectives of the Global Compact for Migration.
We welcome the 2026 Progress Declaration, particularly its emphasis on the route-based approach which reinforces our shared commitment to enhance cooperation on international migration in all its dimensions.
Madam President, Excellencies,
Migration should be a choice and not forced. Yet, violence, conflict, and structural failures remain as primary drivers of forced migration.
For Myanmar, migration is not a theoretical framework; it is a life-saving necessity. Traditionally, migration contributed positively to the development of our country. However, the illegal military coup in February 2021 violently reversed this trend, shifting migration from an economic opportunity to a desperate fight for survival.
GCM Objective 2 (Minimize adverse drivers) calls on us to minimize the adverse drivers of forced migration.
Through relentless terror, documented war crimes, crimes against humanity, and forced conscription, the military junta is the fundamental root cause of our mass displacement.
To date, over 3.6 million are internally displaced, and 1.3 million have fled across borders.
Here allow me to share the experience of my own family. Because of my stand, standing with the people of Myanmar, against the military coup and the military dictatorship, in 2021, my parents who were over 80 years old, my siblings and their children were forced to leave the country.
There were so many people including elderly, women and girls and youth left the country for avoiding the military junta’s atrocities.
Here, I cannot miss to mention that the desperation is also measured in lives lost at sea, with 2025 marking the deadliest year on record for Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution.
Against this backdrop, I wish to appeal for more effective international support. We echo the UNHCR’s Guidance Note, strongly calling on States to allow our civilians access to their territories, guarantee the right to seek asylum, and strictly respect the principle of non-refoulement.
We thank host nations providing sanctuary but request them to fill gaps in the asylum space by registering those seeking protection and ensuring non-discrimination in essential services.
They all want to go back to Myanmar as soon as possible.
During the time of elected government in 2016 to 2020, many Myanmar Diaspora especially young people returned home and contributed to the development of the country. After the coup, they had to leave the country again.
To enable them to return home safely and sustainably, we need to address the root cause; we need to end the military dictatorship and the culture of impunity in Myanmar.
Moreover, Myanmar is also destination of human trafficking. The military junta facilitated the creation of safe haven for transnational crimes including online scam in Myanmar. Many young people across the world became the victims of the online scam. Even some lost their lives in the online scam centres.
I wish to urge the international community to seriously address this issue in a holistic and coherent manner.
In conclusion, Madam President, we face many crises including migration crisis in Myanmar.
Only by dismantling the military dictatorship and the culture of impunity and building a federal democratic union can we find the sustainable solution for the crises, guarantee the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of all our people, and allow the people of Myanmar to finally stop fleeing and rebuild their lives in contribution of the sustainable global peace and security.
The National Unity Government and the major ethnic democratic forces are working together through the Steering Council for Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union for realizing our goal of ending the military dictatorship and building a federal democratic union as well as bringing a bright future back to the people of Myanmar.
Therefore, I urge the international community to support the people of Myanmar in their efforts for sustainable peace and stability and better Myanmar.
