Two Arrested in Alleged Plot to Injure or Kill Myanmar's UN Ambassador

Authorities in the U.S. have arrested two Myanmar citizens residing in New York in connection with an alleged plot to kill their country's ambassador to the United Nations, Kyaw Moe Tun, federal prosecutors say.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York, Phyo Hein Htut concocted a plan with an arms dealer in Thailand who sells weapons to the Myanmar military. Under the plan, Phyo Hein Htut would "hire attackers to hurt the Ambassador in an attempt to force the Ambassador 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 Ambassador." The second defendant, Ye Hein Zaw, allegedly was going to send money to Phyo Hein Htut to finance the attack, which was to take place near New York City. Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to assault and make a violent attack upon a foreign official, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.