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Myanmar crisis to dominate ASEAN leaders summit

The crisis in Myanmar dominates discussions at the ASEAN summit in Indonesia, with calls for an end to violence and condemnation of the junta’s actions. ASEAN’s efforts to mediate and implement a peace plan have faltered, while global condemnation grows. The worsening crisis poses a threat to ASEAN’s relevance, as other nations take the lead in resolving the situation. The summit also addresses the South China Sea dispute and East Timor’s membership in the bloc.

Rohingya team visits Myanmar in refugee return scheme

A Rohingya refugee delegation visited new facilities in Myanmar on Friday as part of a plan to repatriate the persecuted minority. Bangladesh is currently home to around one million Rohingya who fled a military crackdown in Myanmar in 2017. Both countries signed an agreement to repatriate the Rohingya later that year, but the UN has warned that conditions were not suitable for repatriation. The Rohingya are sceptical of the plan, as they fear their safety and citizenship rights will not be recognised by Myanmar authorities.

Myanmar junta pardons 2,153 prisoners jailed for dissent against military

Myanmar’s junta announced on May 11 that over 2,000 prisoners, including protesters and activists, had been pardoned under a law that carries a maximum three-year jail term. The military has arrested thousands of dissidents since it seized power more than two years ago. Those who re-offend will have to serve the remainder of their sentence with an additional penalty. Wednesday’s announcement comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang is visiting for talks with the junta, amid several Beijing-backed infrastructure projects slated to run through northern Myanmar.

Civil society welcomes special review of junta’s Myanmar national human rights commission’s status in global body

The CSO Working Group and the Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) welcome the decision to initiate a Special Review of Myanmar’s military junta-controlled human rights commission in October. This comes after repeated calls to revoke its membership and strip its ‘B’ status. The Special Review aims to address the commission’s non-compliance with international human rights standards and its involvement in the junta’s atrocity crimes.

Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon in Myanmar: state media

Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon has arrived in Myanmar amid escalating conflict in the country, according to state media. Diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis stemming from the 2021 military coup have failed, with the military continuing to crack down on dissent and refusing to engage with opponents. Ban is a member of The Elders, a group of world leaders founded by Nelson Mandela. He has previously visited Myanmar several times, with varying levels of success negotiating with the military junta.

Lawmakers urge ASEAN to negotiate new agreement with Myanmar junta, citing failure of five-point consensus

Lawmakers from Southeast Asia are urging ASEAN to acknowledge the failure of the Five-Point Consensus signed with Myanmar’s junta in April 2021. The agreement aimed to put an end to violence, promote dialogue, appoint a special envoy, provide humanitarian assistance and organize a visit to Myanmar to meet with all parties. According to ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) Chair Mercy Barends, recent airstrikes in the Sagaing region show the junta’s unwillingness to adhere to the agreement. APHR Co-chair Charles Santiago called for a new agreement that includes the National Unity Government and the representatives of ethnic minorities.

Southeast Asian Parliamentarians condemn Thai authorities for handing over Myanmar opposition members to junta allies

Parliamentarians from Southeast Asia have condemned the Thai authorities for handing over three members of Myanmar opposition forces to junta allies, where they are likely to be tortured or worse. The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) called on the Thai government and international community to ensure such an incident does not happen again. The decision to release these three men into the hands of the Myanmar junta, which has repeatedly arbitrarily arrested, tortured, and at times even extrajudicially executed dissidents, is clearly in violation of the UN Convention Against Torture, which Thailand has officially adopted.

International anger as air strikes kill dozens in Myanmar

Dozens killed in Myanmar air strikes, including schoolchildren, as UN and Western nations condemn attacks and demand accountability. Myanmar has been in chaos and its economy in tatters since a military coup in February 2021. The death toll from the early Tuesday morning strike on the remote Kanbalu township is unclear, but at least 50 fatalities and dozens of injuries have been reported by local media. The military has faced international condemnation for razing villages, mass killings and air strikes on civilians.

HRW urges Bangladesh to halt Rohingya repatriation plan

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for Bangladesh to halt its plan to repatriate Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, citing the risks they would face upon return. A delegation from Myanmar’s military regime recently visited Bangladesh to interview potential candidates for return, but HRW warns that any return to Myanmar would put the lives and liberty of refugees “at grave risk” due to the ongoing military junta’s massacres around the country.

Myanmar junta dissolves Suu Kyi party

Myanmar’s junta has dissolved Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party for failing to re-register under a new military-drafted electoral law. The military had claimed widespread fraud in the 2020 elections won by the NLD, which led to the coup. Out of 90 parties, only 50 applied to re-register, and the rest will be dissolved. The rules stipulate that parties must mobilize at least 100,000 members within 90 days and open offices in at least half of the country’s townships within 180 days. The NLD has been the torchbearer of democratic aspirations in Myanmar, and its leadership has been decimated in the junta’s violent crackdown.