Myanmar summons German envoy over video calling for release of Suu Kyi and Win Myint

Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the head of mission at the German embassy after a Facebook video calling for the release of detained politicians, including Aung San Suu Kyi and former president Win Myint. The ministry said the video, posted by German diplomat Mathias Licharz, appeared to encourage opposition to the host government and could incite internal unrest. The dispute adds a new diplomatic strain to Myanmar's already tense political environment more than five years after the military coup.

According to the ministry, Licharz met Deputy Foreign Minister Ko Ko Kyaw and was warned against repeating the conduct. He was also handed an aide-memoire, the ministry said. The ministry said any similar action would be treated with utmost seriousness and could lead to appropriate measures.

Germany's embassy in Myanmar had not immediately commented on the summons. The video was posted on Sunday outside the former Yangon residence of Win Myint, who was the figurehead president in Aung San Suu Kyi's government before the 2021 coup. In the message, Licharz marked Win Myint's 75th birthday and said the United Nations still regards him as Myanmar's legitimate president.

He also called for the unconditional release of all those who are arbitrarily detained, including Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi. The ministry's statement framed the video as a political intervention rather than a routine diplomatic message. The episode matters because it touches on one of the central fault lines in Myanmar's post-coup politics: the status of detained civilian leaders and the legitimacy of the military-backed authorities.

Win Myint was jailed after the February 2021 coup, which ended Myanmar's decade-long democratic experiment. Since then, pro-democracy resistance has grown, while ethnic minority rebellions that had long challenged central rule have intensified in several parts of the country. The case also highlights the sensitivity of foreign diplomatic activity in Myanmar, where public statements on political detainees can quickly become a bilateral issue.

Authorities said in April that Win Myint had been pardoned of post-coup convictions, although supporters and analysts have argued those charges were fabricated to remove the elected government. Licharz said in the video that his attempts to meet Win Myint had been unsuccessful, and he concluded that Win Myint was not free and could not communicate independently. What remains unclear is whether Myanmar will take further action beyond the warning delivered to the German diplomat.

It is also not clear whether Germany will issue a formal response or whether the incident will affect broader diplomatic contacts. The situation will be watched for any sign that the dispute widens beyond the single video and into a more sustained diplomatic confrontation.

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