Kyaw Moe Tun, who was still ousted from civilian government on February 1, delivered a dramatic speech as he addressed the meeting on Friday.
“We need the strongest possible action of the international community to end the military coup immediately, to oppress the innocent people, to return the state power to the people and to restore democracy,” he said.
The diplomat received a rare round of applause from his UN colleagues at the end of the speech.
The new US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, praised the envoy’s “courageous” remarks.
“The United States continues to strongly condemn the military coup in Myanmar,” she said on Friday as she addressed the meeting.
“And we condemn the brutal killing of unarmed people by the security forces.”
Thomas-Greenfield added that the US “will continue to provide life-saving humanitarian aid, including to Rohingya and other vulnerable populations in the states of Chin, Kachin, Rakhine and Shan.”
“The world should applaud Representative Kyaw Moe Tun for delivering such a powerful statement on behalf of the people of Myanmar, not the illegal military junta,” Akila Radhakrishnan, president of the Global Justice Center, said in a statement on Friday. statement said.
“The international community must reward such courage by taking its call for immediate, decisive action to hold the army accountable.”
Myanmar fell into unrest when the coup expelled civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi has been detained at her home in the capital since the coup.
The country has since seen 21 consecutive days of anti-military protests, with demonstrations held in Mandalay and Yangon on Friday.
Earlier in the day, some protesters gathered peacefully outside Suu Kyi’s house to pray.
Military leaders have imposed an internet ban as the unrest continues.
Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Thursday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.