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Justice For Myanmar demands the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ends its complicity in the Myanmar junta’s ongoing international crimes and reject its attempt to stage an illegal election to manufacture false legitimacy.
The call comes on the eve of the 47th ASEAN Summit, hosted by Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
Over four years since ASEAN adopted its failed Five-Point Consensus, the Myanmar junta has only escalated its campaign of terror against civilians and its transnational criminal activities, enabled by the complicity of ASEAN, its member states, and regional businesses.
As the junta prepares for its sham election, it has intensified indiscriminate airstrikes across the country and continues to commit mass killings, rape and sexual violence, torture, and the systematic destruction of villages. Children are increasingly among the victims.
Over 22,000 people remain arbitrarily detained and subjected to torture by the junta. Meanwhile, surveillance and censorship has deepened.
Businesses in ASEAN member states have fuelled and financed these international crimes.
At least 54 companies based in ASEAN member states maintained business ties with the junta and its associated companies since the military’s illegal coup attempt of February 1, 2021. These include investments and trade in oil and gas, timber, land leases, communications and surveillance technology and the provision of aviation fuel that are lifelines sustaining the junta’s nationwide terror campaign.
The junta has also funded its international crimes through cyber scams and other transnational criminal activities, causing global harm and regional instability.
ASEAN’s own defence cooperation frameworks have provided the Myanmar military with access to meetings, intelligence and training. The military’s involvement in ASEAN has allowed the junta to expand its capabilities to continue to commit violence and atrocity crimes against Myanmar people, develop content for propaganda purposes, seek false legitimacy, and forge bilateral military ties with regional powers.
ASEAN has the opportunity at this Summit to end its continued complicity by rejecting the junta’s sham election, bar the junta and its representatives from ASEAN and its bodies, and stand with the people of Myanmar in their struggle for federal democracy, peace, and justice.
ASEAN member states and businesses must immediately cut the junta's access to funds, arms, equipment, technology, and aviation fuel.
In preparation for its sham election, the junta rebranded its executive, legislative and judicial entity, the “State Administration Council (SAC)” to the so-called “State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC).” Justice For Myanmar warns that this calculated move can enable the junta to circumvent international sanctions and obscure accountability for its ongoing international crimes.
We call on ASEAN to be clear-eyed that the SSPC rebrand is a ploy to deceive the international community for legitimacy.
ASEAN partners that sanctioned SAC—Canada, EU, UK and USA—should urgently update their sanctions to list SSPC and prevent their sanctions regimes from being circumvented.
Justice For Myanmar spokesperson Yadanar Maung says: "The junta’s so-called polls are not a path to democracy, but a façade designed by the junta to falsely legitimise its reign of terror.
"As ASEAN leaders gather, they must make it clear: There can be no free, fair or credible election organised by an illegitimate junta.
"An ‘election’ held under gunpoint by an illegitimate junta categorically rejected by the Myanmar people is a sham. ASEAN must unequivocally reject this fake process, refuse to send observers and deny the junta any form of legitimacy.
"The junta’s campaign of terror has been enabled by ASEAN's failure to address corporate complicity, which ASEAN must address by urging members to cut off the flow of money, aviation fuel and technology to the junta.
"ASEAN needs to act on its responsibly to not only protect the people of Myanmar from the junta’s terror, but also the victims of transnational crime across the region and beyond."
