United News of Bangladesh

The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) on Wednesday strongly condemned the decision to invite the "illegitimate" Myanmar military junta to participate in the upcoming Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) meeting in Bangkok on April 3-4. APHR called on BIMSTEC member states, particularly Thailand and India, to reject the junta’s participation and take decisive action in support of democracy and human rights. If BIMSTEC seeks to be a credible regional actor, it must prove that it stands for justice, not complicity, APHR said in a statement from Jakarta. “Engaging the Myanmar junta without demanding concrete commitments to human rights and democracy is a betrayal of the people of Myanmar and a stain on BIMSTEC’s reputation,” said Arlene Brosas, APHR Board Member and Member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. As one of the founding countries of BIMSTEC and the host of its 6th Summit, Thailand must take a principled stand and reject the junta’s participation. Dr Yunus' remarks on Northeast India made with good intentions: High Representative Allowing the military regime a seat at the table not only legitimizes its brutal rule but also undermines BIMSTEC’s credibility as a regional organization committed to peace, stability, and development, it said in a statement. Since its illegal coup on 1 February 2021, Myanmar’s military has committed grave human rights violations, including the killing of thousands of civilians, arbitrary arrests of opposition figures and activists, and the dismantling of democratic institutions. Most recently, military forces bombed affected regions, including Sagaing, just hours after a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. The junta has systematically blocked aid and refused international rescue assistance, repeating its callous response to past disasters like Cyclone Nargis. “The Myanmar military has shown complete disregard for human rights, humanitarian principles, and the rule of law. By engaging with the junta, BIMSTEC is not promoting diplomacy—it is endorsing oppression,” said Mercy Chriesty Barends, APHR Chairperson and Member of the House of Representatives of Indonesia. Unlike ASEAN, which has at least attempted to address the Myanmar crisis through its Five-Point Consensus, BIMSTEC has remained largely silent. Its failure to take action raises serious concerns about the bloc’s commitment to democratic governance and human rights. BIMSTEC Sidelines: Yunus, Modi first-ever in-person meeting set for April 4 “The people of Myanmar continue to resist military oppression at great personal cost. Yet, instead of supporting their struggle, BIMSTEC is handing the junta a platform,” said Rangsiman Rome, APHR Board Member and Member of the House of Representatives of Thailand. “Thailand, as the host of the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, has a responsibility to lead with integrity and take a clear stand against the junta’s participation.” Despite its economic and geopolitical ambitions, BIMSTEC has yet to demonstrate a meaningful commitment to addressing security threats posed by state repression. By engaging the illegitimate Myanmar junta without conditions, it undermines the very stability it claims to promote. APHR believes that economic cooperation cannot be separated from human rights. A regime that wages war on its people cannot be a trusted partner in regional development. “BIMSTEC must not turn a blind eye to authoritarianism,” said Angelina Sarmento, APHR Board Member and Member of the Parliament of Timor Leste. “Its engagement with Myanmar must be principled and centered on the victims, not their oppressors.”

Parliamentarians from Southeast Asia have urged the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to use their upcoming summit in Washington to increase pressure on the Myanmar military junta that has thrown the country into a state of chaos ever since its take-over in February last year. The leaders of ASEAN and the United States have declared that they intend to enhance their strategic partnership for the mutual benefit of the peoples of ASEAN and the United States, according to a message received here from Jakarta. In that spirit, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) advises that they should take concrete steps to address the inherent threat to peace, economic development and human security in Southeast Asia posed by the crisis in Myanmar. ASEAN and the United States are set to convene a special summit to celebrate four and a half decades of the ASEAN-U.S. Dialogue Relations, on May 12-13 in Washington D.C. This is the second special summit since 2016 and the first in person engagement for our leaders since 2017. “Let this 45th anniversary of US-ASEAN relations be the occasion for the  US and ASEAN governments to begin a new phase in their relations that truly benefits the people and puts human rights and the prevention of atrocities, in Myanmar and elsewhere, at the top of the agenda,” said Charles Santiago,  a Malaysian lawmaker, who is also APHR chairperson. They can no longer ignore the threat that the junta in Myanmar poses to the security of millions of people at the heart of Southeast Asia, Santiago added.  The current crisis is wholly and solely caused by the junta, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, which overthrew the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi on 1 February 2021, according to APHR. The Myanmar population has valiantly resisted the coup and, in order to impose its rule on the country, the military has committed widespread atrocities. According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, these may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Over the last year, Myanmar’s military has completely ignored the ASEAN’s Five Point Consensus on Myanmar, which was agreed on in April 2021 and was also supported by the US, APHR said. Violence continues unabated, there is no dialogue between the junta and forces resisting military rule, and humanitarian aid is not reaching the Myanmar people. The Special Summit provides the perfect opportunity for the allies to work on coordinated measures to make Min Aung Hlaing and his junta pay the price for their failure to abide by an agreement they claimed to accept, said the APHR. “Humanity is our common thread across the Pacific and across the world. We must stand together in the face of these atrocities, Asians and Americans, as we share the same concern for the people of Myanmar. Now is the time for ASEAN and the US to make their historic alliance truly meaningful to people in desperate need,” said Mercy Barends, an MP in Indonesia and an APHR Board Member. They also urged the US and ASEAN governments to publicly meet with Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG), which represents the democratically elected government and receives support from the majority of the Myanmar people. “We call on the United States and ASEAN to work together to urgently deliver the life-saving humanitarian aid that the Myanmar people need.” APHR said they stand ready to assist the US and ASEAN as they formulate and carry out their policies to address this crisis, and will remain vigilant to ensure that the steps taken by the US and ASEAN truly serve to support the Myanmar people’s aspirations for human rights, peace and democracy.

Fortify Rights on Thursday said the Myanmar military junta has arbitrarily detained journalists, threatened others into hiding, and dictated proposed legislation that would severely curb media freedoms.