ASEAN urged to end complicity with Myanmar junta amid continued human rights abuses

Four years after the Myanmar coup, ASEAN faces mounting pressure to cut ties with the junta and support Myanmar’s democratic aspirations amid escalating atrocities.

CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, UN experts, and Myanmar civil society groups have criticised ASEAN for aiding the Myanmar military junta, enabling war crimes, and prolonging the humanitarian crisis. They accuse ASEAN of betraying its commitments to regional peace and stability while businesses within its member states continue profiting from their ties to the junta.

On 1 February 2021, the Myanmar military launched a coup, overthrowing the democratically elected government. Since then, the people of Myanmar have resisted with extraordinary bravery, despite facing collective punishment, systematic violence, and mass displacement. According to Justice For Myanmar, over 3.3 million people have been displaced as the junta continues its brutal campaign of terror, including indiscriminate airstrikes and the destruction of villages, schools, and hospitals.

The junta’s crimes, including genocide against the Rohingya, have been facilitated by ASEAN’s diplomatic, financial, and military support, alongside the supply of weapons and aviation fuel. Josef Benedict, Asia Pacific Researcher at CIVICUS, stated, “ASEAN member states, especially Malaysia as the Chair, cannot continue to ignore the brutal repression against civilians, activists, and journalists. It must demand justice and accountability in Myanmar.”

Complicity through business and diplomacy

ASEAN has been accused of providing legitimacy to the junta by allowing its representatives to chair meetings and offering training to its military. Despite sanctions imposed by the US, EU, UK, and Canada, ASEAN members have largely continued business as usual. Thailand’s state-owned oil company PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP) operates two major gas projects with the junta, which fund its military operations.

Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence-backed company Viettel maintains a stake in Mytel, a telecom venture with the military conglomerate Myanmar Economic Corporation. Mytel not only provides the junta with US$700 million in projected profits but also supports military surveillance. Malaysia’s Shangri-La Group, founded by tycoon Robert Kuok, continues to profit from the Sule Square project, developed on military-leased land.

Singapore has been singled out as a hub for the junta’s international business dealings. Entities such as Interra Resources continue extracting oil to support the military’s campaign. UN reports have identified Singapore-based entities as the third-largest source of weapons materials to the junta. Justice For Myanmar’s Yadanar Maung called for stricter enforcement, stating, “Singapore must block the junta’s access to funds and aviation fuel.”

Sham elections and resistance

The junta’s plan to hold elections in 2025 has been widely condemned. UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews described the elections as fraudulent, given the repression of opposition leaders and media censorship. Andrews highlighted the junta’s ongoing human rights abuses, including the detention of over 20,000 political prisoners, forced displacements, and severe restrictions on free expression.

Justice For Myanmar accused ASEAN of betraying the people of Myanmar by continuing to engage with the junta despite clear evidence of atrocities. “ASEAN must end its complicity in the junta’s war crimes and crimes against humanity by excluding the junta from all meetings and ending its military, technical, financial, and intelligence support,” Maung said.

Systematic atrocities

Myanmar civil society groups have documented extensive war crimes and crimes against humanity, including indiscriminate airstrikes, mass killings, and torture. The junta’s decades-long atrocities, particularly against the Rohingya, have been fuelled by external partnerships. Critics argue that ASEAN’s role in facilitating arms sales and financial transactions has worsened the crisis.

CIVICUS highlighted the lack of progress on ASEAN’s five-point consensus agreement, adopted in 2021, which promised to seek a peaceful solution. However, ASEAN’s failure to hold the junta accountable and its ongoing diplomatic engagement have undermined these efforts.

Demands for ASEAN action

Myanmar activists, alongside CIVICUS and UN experts, have called on ASEAN to:

• Cease all diplomatic and business engagements with the junta.
• Impose sanctions on military-linked enterprises and cut access to funds, arms, and aviation fuel.
• Engage with Myanmar’s legitimate representatives, including the National Unity Government (NUG), National Unity Consultative Council, and civil society organisations.

Maung emphasised that ASEAN must listen to the voices of the Myanmar people, who have made immense sacrifices to resist the coup: “The future of a federal democratic Myanmar must be led and owned by the people of Myanmar as guided by the Federal Democracy Charter.”

ASEAN’s partners, including the US, UK, and EU, have imposed sanctions and cut military ties with the junta. However, without collective action from ASEAN members, critics argue that Myanmar’s suffering will continue. “Time is long overdue for ASEAN to stop engaging with the junta, dismantle the military cartel, and support Myanmar’s path to democracy,” Maung added.

As the humanitarian crisis deepens, the pressure on ASEAN to act is intensifying. International stakeholders have warned that failure to address the situation could result in prolonged instability and further suffering for the Myanmar people.