Two arrested in US for plotting to kill Myanmar's UN envoy

US officials have arrested two men for allegedly plotting to kill or injure Myanmar's permanent Ambassador to the UN Kyaw Moe Tun, the country's Attorney's Office said on Friday.

Phyo Hein Htut and Ye Hein Zaw were arrested for conspiracy to assault and carry out a violent attack upon Myanmar's Permanent Representative to the UN.

"As alleged, Phyo Hein Htut and Ye Hein Zaw plotted to seriously injure or kill Myanmar's ambassador to the UN in a planned attack on a foreign official that was to take place on American soil. We commend the tireless work of our law enforcement partners at all levels of government to ensure the safety of foreign diplomats and officials," US Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a statement.

Htut and Zaw, both are citizens of Myanmar and were currently residing in New York.

In an attempt to injure or kill Myanmar's Permanent Representative to the UN, Htut had communicated with an arms dealer in Thailand, who sells weapons to the Burmese military, which overthrew Myanmar's civilian government in February 2021.

"In the course of those conversations, Htut and the arms dealer agreed on a plan in which Htut would hire attackers to hurt the Ambassador in an attempt to force the envoy to step down from his post. If the Ambassador did not step down, then the arms dealer proposed that the attackers hired by Htut would kill the envoy," the US Attorney's office added.

( With inputs from ANI )

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