YANGON
\nMyanmar\u2019s junta and the Taliban authorities of Afghanistan on Thursday slammed the United Nations for denying their chosen representatives seats at the world body.
\nThe committee responsible for approving nominations of ambassadors met on Wednesday but deferred a decision over rival claims to the seats for both countries, diplomats said.
\nThe deferral keeps in place envoys appointed to the UN by former governments in both nations before they were toppled \u2014 by a coup in Myanmar in February and the Taliban\u2019s takeover in Afghanistan in August.
\n\u201cThis decision does not reflect the reality on the ground and existence of our country,\u201d Myanmar junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said.
\n\u201cWe will continue submitting (to the UN) as usual according to diplomatic procedure and the right to representation in accordance with international and local laws,\u201d he added.
\nThe deferral leaves Kyaw Moe Tun, appointed by Aung San Suu Kyi\u2019s government, in place as Myanmar\u2019s envoy.
\nHe made headlines shortly after the putsch by flashing the three-finger salute of democracy protesters from his UN chair, brazenly defying the junta\u2019s insistence that he no longer represents the country.
\nIn August US prosecutors said they had charged two Myanmar citizens in a plot to attack him. The junta has denied any involvement and chosen former soldier Aung Thurein as its envoy to the UN body.
\nMyanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted Suu Kyi\u2019s National League for Democracy government, sparking huge democracy protests which have triggered a bloody crackdown from the junta.
\nThe Taliban in September asked the UN to accept its former Doha-based spokesperson Suhail Shaheen to succeed Ghulam Isaczai, a cabinet member of ousted President Ashraf Ghani.
\nShaheen on Twitter said the UN had \u201cdeprived the people of Afghan\u00adistan of their legitimate right\u201d.
\n\u201cWe have the support of the people of Afghanistan and we are able to defend the country, the people and all the borders,\u201d he said.
\nIsaczai continues to occupy Afghanistan\u2019s offices at the UN headquarters and participated in a recent Security Council meeting in which he openly criticised the Taliban.
\nThe Taliban have been seeking international recognition for their new government as the country faces worsening economic and humanitarian disasters. There was \u201cconsensus\u201d within the UN credentials committee to delay the decision, two diplomats said.
\n\u201cChina, Russia and the United States were in the same position,\u201d one of them said. The nine-member committee is due to submit a report next week to the General Assembly, diplomats said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
YANGON Myanmar\u2019s junta and the Taliban authorities of Afghanistan on Thursday slammed the United Nations for denying their chosen representatives seats at the world body. The committee responsible for approving nominations of ambassadors met on Wednesday but deferred a decision over rival claims to the seats for both countries, diplomats said. The deferral keeps in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-230832","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n