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Open letter from Myanmar, regional and international civil society organizations to ASEAN to End Myanmar Military’s Violence, Advance Accountability and Operationalize Cross-border Humanitarian Aid

April 24, 2026/in Member statements, Press Releases and Statements

To: ASEAN Leaders H.E. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Prime Minister of Brunei DarussalamH.E. Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of CambodiaH.E. Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, President of the Republic of IndonesiaH.E. Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic RepublicH.E. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of MalaysiaH.E. Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr., […]

Press Release – Rights-Based Reform: ASEAN Five Years on from the 5-Point Consensus

April 24, 2026/in Press Releases and Statements

The Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma Releases Rights-Based Reform: ASEAN Five Years on from the 5-Point Consensus 24 April 2026 For Immediate Release Today, the Network for Human Rights Documentation-Burma (ND-Burma) releases Rights-Based Reform: ASEAN Five Years on from the 5-Point Consensus. This latest briefing paper calls attention to the lack of meaningful […]

Open letter from Myanmar, regional and international civil society organizations to ASEAN to End Myanmar Military’s Violence, Advance Accountability and Operationalize Cross-border Humanitarian Aid

April 24, 2026/in Member statements, Press Releases and Statements

Press Release – Rights-Based Reform: ASEAN Five Years on from the 5-Point Consensus

April 24, 2026/in Press Releases and Statements

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Open letter from Myanmar, regional and international civil society organizations to ASEAN to End Myanmar Military’s Violence, Advance Accountability and Operationalize Cross-border Humanitarian Aid

April 24, 2026/in Member statements, Press Releases and Statements

To: ASEAN Leaders

H.E. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Prime Minister of Brunei Darussalam
H.E. Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia
H.E. Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, President of the Republic of Indonesia
H.E. Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
H.E. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia
H.E. Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines
H.E. Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore
H.E. Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand
H.E. José Manuel Ramos-Horta, President of Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
H.E. Le Minh Hung, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

CC: H.E. Duwa Lashi La, Acting President of Myanmar

24 April 2026

Subject: Open letter from Myanmar, regional and international civil society organizations to ASEAN to End Myanmar Military’s Violence, Advance Accountability and Operationalize Cross-border Humanitarian Aid

Excellencies,

We, the undersigned 201 Myanmar, regional, and international civil society organizations (CSOs), submit the following recommendations to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to address the Myanmar military-created polycrisis and to support the diverse people of Myanmar in achieving a peaceful and sustainable future grounded in federal democracy, human rights and accountability.

The following concrete actions have become increasingly urgent, as March 2026 became the deadliest month for civilians in Myanmar since the illegal coup attempt began in February 2021. In March 2026 alone, junta violence killed 518 civilians and non-combatants.

Non-Recognition of the Junta’s Illegitimate Political Structures and entities

ASEAN must formally state that it considers null and void the junta’s immensely violent and exclusionary sham electoral process. An estimated 10.5 million voters were excluded, while another 11 million boycotted the polls. The votes cast amounted to only half of the votes in the 2020 elections, which the military sought to overturn. ASEAN must reject the legitimacy of the military-led façade government, the “parliament,” and the representatives emerging from it. In addition, ASEAN must bar junta representatives from attending all ASEAN meetings. It is not a coincidence that March 2026, the month the junta’s “parliament” convened, was the deadliest month in more than 5 years.

Support for Locally Led, Cross-Border Humanitarian Mechanisms

Urgent action is required to address the intensifying humanitarian crisis caused by the junta’s violence and its denial of humanitarian access to affected populations, which are concerns raised by the UN Human Rights Council. More than 3.7 million people are internally displaced, while acute food insecurity remains at catastrophic levels, affecting an estimated 12 million people in 2026. Since 2022, approximately 1,853 healthcare facilities have been attacked, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Cooperation with the junta and its agencies has only served to worsen this crisis in regional human security. We call on ASEAN to:

Ensure humanitarian access initiatives that bypass the junta and its systems,
Enable direct support to local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Community-based Organizations (CBOs), and
Facilitate cross-border aid delivery in consultation with and through ethnic resistance organizations (EROs), the National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar, and trusted CSOs, CBOs and networks.

Immediate Measures to Halt the Flow of Aviation Fuel and Weapons

Aerial and other attacks on civilian targets have continued unceasingly. Since the February 2021 coup attempt, there were 65,978 armed clashes and attacks against civilians, which killed 17,871 civilians in 328 townships out of 330 townships in Myanmar.[1] The junta has carried out 9,794 aerial bombardments, including 7,330 airstrikes, 1,305 drone strikes, 820 paramotor attacks, and 339 gyrocopter assaults. These have resulted in 4,853 documented deaths and the destruction of over 1,200 civilian structures, including schools and religious sites, and countless homes.[2] If ASEAN is serious about reducing conflict, it needs to:

Impose restrictions on weapons and aviation fuel supply chains, as well as the logistical arrangements that deliver the supplies enabling aerial attacks,
Disrupt and/or interdict regional transit of weapons and aviation fuel that facilitate the junta’s airstrike capacity, and
Ensure that no ASEAN Member State serves as a conduit for resources used in attacks against civilians.

Support for International Accountability Mechanisms

ASEAN Member States should actively support international justice initiatives focused on Myanmar, including the exercise of universal jurisdiction in Timor-Leste and Indonesia, to address serious violations of international law and advance accountability for atrocity crimes. This is critical in halting impunity, building public trust, and halting recurrence of these crimes. ASEAN must commit to implementing the June 2025 ILO Resolution under Article 33 of the ILO Constitution to combat forced labor linked to the conflict, including forced conscription, coerced labor in military controlled areas, and labor exploitation in scam centers.

Advancement of an Inclusive, Legitimate Political Process

To build confidence and engagement in a genuinely inclusive and credible political process, we call on ASEAN to:

Ensure the ASEAN Special Envoy’s engagement and facilitation efforts are grounded in human rights, justice and accountability, as outlined by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC),
Center democratic actors, including the NUG, SCEF, EROs, and civil society, in ASEAN’s efforts, and
Ensure that cessation of violence and atrocities, a halt to forced conscription, and the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Myanmar, are prioritized in the Special Envoy’s engagements and efforts.

Now five years after the Myanmar military’s violent and illegal and unlawful coup attempt in 2021 and the adoption of the 5PC on 24 April 2021, ASEAN’s responses remain fundamentally inadequate to address the Myanmar crisis. Ever since Min Aung Hlaing signed the 5PC in Jakarta, the military junta has demonstrated no political will whatsoever to implement the 5PC. Instead, the junta has escalated violence with complete impunity, while exploiting diplomatic engagement to try to normalize its unlawful coup attempt and manufacture political legitimacy. Absent serious enforcement, accountability, and inclusivity, the ASEAN 5PC remains a dead letter that the Myanmar military continues to ignore as it commits ongoing atrocity crimes.

We welcome the principled stance taken by ASEAN under its previous Chair, Malaysia, in rejecting the junta’s sham electoral process and expressing concern over ongoing atrocities. These efforts mark an important step towards aligning ASEAN’s response with international human rights standards.

Now that the Philippines has assumed the 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship, we call for strengthened leadership, policy continuity, and decisive action. We urge the ASEAN Chair and Special Envoy, Ma. Theresa Lazaro, to build on this precedent by formally rejecting not only the junta’s staged elections but also the illegitimate governing structures recently established in Naypyitaw. Instead, the Philippines should focus on advancing a people-centered approach towards Myanmar that is grounded in human rights, accountability, justice, and inclusivity.

Central to this approach is the unequivocal demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, including State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint.

Excellencies,

The situation in 2026 represents a critical inflection point that directly challenges the commitments of the ASEAN to regional peace, security, and stability, as well as its legal and moral responsibility to protect the people of Myanmar as part of its commitment to people-centric ASEAN.

Following the junta’s violent, fraudulent and exclusionary sham elections, conducted between December 2025 and January 2026, it has moved to establish parliamentary structures dominated by internationally sanctioned military individuals and loyalists. This is a deliberate strategy to institutionalize military rule under the guise of “civilian governance.”

Meanwhile, Myanmar’s human security emergencies are increasingly intersecting with regional security concerns. Junta-controlled areas have become hubs for transnational criminal activities, including human trafficking and online scam operations, posing direct threats to ASEAN citizens and undermining regional stability.

We express grave concern that ASEAN’s current approach:

Risks legitimizing the illegal military junta and its attempted rebranding under post-sham election structures, including the sham parliament and institutions dominated by military-backed actors such as the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP),
Fails to halt the junta’s ongoing violence against civilians or advance accountability for atrocity crimes,
Excludes democratic actors and grassroots voices in implementation of the 5PC, and
Fails to prevent member states’ direct or indirect complicity in the junta’s continued atrocities and escalation of violence.

Ensuring the cessation of violence, as outlined in the 5PC, including the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, is not only a moral imperative but a necessary precondition for any meaningful political resolution. Without this, any claims of dialogue, reconciliation, or legitimacy remain fundamentally flawed.

As ASEAN Chair, the Philippines faces a defining moment: to stand with the people of Myanmar or to perpetuate a framework that ignores their continued suffering. If ASEAN is to remain relevant, it must move towards a genuinely people-centered approach hinged on accountability to effectively address the Myanmar crisis.

ASEAN must choose—stand with the people of Myanmar—or risk complicity in the Myanmar military’s ongoing atrocity crimes.

We call on the Philippines, as ASEAN Chair, to adopt a principled, rights-based, inclusive, and accountable approach to the Myanmar crisis in support of a federal democratic future. We stand ready to support such efforts.

For further information, please contact:

Salai Za Uk Ling, Chin Human Rights Organization; zauk@chinhumanrights.org
Khin Ohmar, Progressive Voice; khinohmar@progressive-voice.org
Debbie Stothard, ALTSEAN-Burma; debbie@altsean.org
Ryan Martinez, Burma Solidarity – Philippines; aniceto.rjmartinez@gmail.com
Mark Farmaner, Burma Campaign UK; Mark.Farmaner@burmacampaign.org.uk

Signed by 201 civil society organizations, including 23 organizations that have chosen not to disclose their names:

8888 Generation (New Zealand)
A New Burma
Action Committee for Democracy Development (ACDD)
Ah Nah Podcast – conversations with Myanmar
All Arakan Youth Organizations Network (AAYON)
All Burma Democratic Front in New Zealand
ALTSEAN-Burma
Anti Dictatorship in Burma – DMV PA Area
Arakan CSO Network
ASEAN SOGIE Caucus
Asia Democracy Network (ADN)
Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocates (AHRLA)
Asian Cultural Forum on Development (ACFOD)
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
Association of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters (HRDP)
Athan – Freedom of Expression Activist Organization
Auckland Kachin Community NZ
Auckland Zomi Community
Ayeyarwaddy West Development Organisation (AWDO), Magway
Ayeyarwaddy West Development Organisation (AWDO), Nagphe
Ayeyarwaddy Youth Network
Bir Duino
Blood Money Campaign (BMC)
Burma Action Ireland
Burma Campaign UK (BCUK)
Burma Canadian Network
Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN)
Burma Solidarity Philippines (BSP)
Burmese Atheists Team
Burmese Community Group (Manawatu, NZ)
Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK)
Burmese Rohingya Welfare Organisation New Zealand
Burmese Women’s Union (BWU)
Campaign for a New Myanmar
Center For Action Points (CAP)
Centre for the Sustainable use of Natural and Social Resources (CSNR)
Chin Community of Auckland
Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO)
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
Civil Rights Defenders (CRD)
Creative Home (CH)
CRPH & NUG Supporters Ireland
CRPH Funding Ireland
Defence of Human Rights Pakistan
Defend Myanmar Democracy (DMD)
Doh Atu – Ensemble pour le Myanmar
Educational Initiatives Prague
Equality Myanmar (EQMM)
Federal Corner
Federal Myanmar Benevolence Group (NZ)
Federation of Sagaing Forum
Focus on the Global South
Free Burma Campaign (South Africa) (FBC(SA)
Future Light Center (FLC)
General Strike Coordination Body – GSCB
Generation Wave (GW)
Generations’ Solidarity Coalition of Nationalities – GSCN
Greater Equitable Measures (GEM), Malaysia
Human Rights Educators Network (HREN)
Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM)
India For Myanmar
Info Birmaine
Innovation for Change – East Asia
Institute of Innovative Democracy
International Campaign for the Rohingya
ITALIA-BIRMANIA.INSIEME
IWU – Inle Women Union
Justice & Equality Focus (JEF)
Justice For Myanmar (JFM)
Kachin Human Rights Watch (KHRW)
Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT)
Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN)
Karen Women’s Organization (KWO)
Karenni Human Rights Group (KnHRG)
Karenni National Women’s Organization (KNWO)
Karenni Society New Zealand
KontraS
Korean House for International Solidarity (KHIS)
Kyae Lak Myay
Kyaukpadaung Support Team (KST)
Legal Aid for Human Rights
Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA), Bangladesh
MAGGA Initiative
Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN)
Mandalay Regional Youth Association – RCG
Mekong Watch
Metta Campaign Mandalay
Milk Tea Alliance (Friends of Manchester)
Milk Tea Alliance Japan (MTAJ)
MilkTea Alliance Calendar team
MilkTea Alliance Friends of Myanmar
Myanmar Accountability Project (MAP)
Myanmar anti-military coup movement in New Zealand
Myanmar Community Group Christchurch New Zealand
Myanmar Community Group Dunedin New Zealand
Myanmar Emergency Fund – Canada
Myanmar Engineers – New Zealand
Myanmar Gonye (New Zealand)
Myanmar People Alliance (Shan State)
Myanmar Student Christian Movement
Myanmar Students’ Union in New Zealand
Nabulae IDP Support and Relief Committee
Nelson Myanmar Community Group New Zealand
Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma (ND-Burma)
New Bloom
New Renmonnya Federated Force (NRFF)
New Step Women Empowerment Group (NSWG)
New Zealand Campaign for Myanmar
New Zealand Doctors for NUG
New Zealand Karen Association
New Zealand Zo Community Inc.
No Business With Genocide
North South Initiative
North South Institute, Malaysia
Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica (NLTA)
Overseas Mon Association. New Zealand
Oway Institute
Pakokku Youth Development Council (PYDC)
Peace Classroom (Sagaing Division)
Peace Women Partners
People Movement Platform Myanmar
Political Prisoners Network – Myanmar (PPNM)
Progressive Muslim Youth Association (PMYA)
Progressive Voice (PV)
Public Association Dignity
Pusat KOMAS
Pwintphyu Development Organisation (PDO)
Pyithu Gonye (New Zealand)
Queers of Burma Alternative (QBA)
Rangoon Scout Network (RSN)
Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network (RMCN)
Rural Community Development Society
Rvwang Community Association New Zealand
Save Myanmar – USA
Save Myanmar San Francisco
Save Myanmar Fundraising Group (New Zealand)
SEA Junction
Shan Community (New Zealand)
Sitt Nyein Pann Foundation (SNPF)
Social Garden
Solidarity for People’s Education and Lifelong Learning (SPELL)
Southern Initiatives (SI)
Spring Edu Garden
Spring Friends (Pale Township)
Spring Traveller
Sujata Sisters Group (NZ)
Ta’ang Women’s Organization (TWO)
Taiwan Association for Human Rights
Tamar Institute of Development
Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP)
Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB)
The Nation Voice
Think Centre
Thint Myat Lo Thu Myar Organization
U.S. Campaign for Burma (USCB)
Union of Karenni State Youth – UKSY
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)
Women’s League of Burma (WLB)
Women’s Peace Network
Yangon 4 Brothers
Yaw Land’s IDP Support Network
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Press Release – Rights-Based Reform: ASEAN Five Years on from the 5-Point Consensus

April 24, 2026/in Press Releases and Statements

The Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma Releases Rights-Based Reform: ASEAN Five Years on from the 5-Point Consensus

24 April 2026

For Immediate Release

Today, the Network for Human Rights Documentation-Burma (ND-Burma) releases Rights-Based Reform: ASEAN Five Years on from the 5-Point Consensus. This latest briefing paper calls attention to the lack of meaningful action by ASEAN, specifically the 5-Point Consensus (5PC), which has failed in its credibility and implementation. The people of Burma reject the 5PC and have repeatedly called for its reform. ASEAN must acknowledge the reality that the junta has never intended to adhere to the 5PC. As violence continues to wage in the country, urgent action and attention by the regional bloc is long overdue.

The 5PC is based on five key pillars: a halt to the violence, inclusive dialogue, mediation through a special envoy, and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid. Five years later, civil society organizations continue to call for a response that acknowledges the people’s aspirations, including by ensuring that the military junta is denied any position of power, authority, or legitimacy. The junta’s relentless violence and deliberate attacks on democratic forces undermine protections for vulnerable groups. It is also indicative of their refusal to adhere to calls to end the ongoing air and ground strikes.

The military junta has continued to escape accountability for its actions. The lack of international response has only encouraged the regime to violate the human rights of ordinary people, perpetuating the cycle of impunity. A new approach by ASEAN is urgently required. In this latest briefing paper, ND-Burma members reiterate the ongoing calls by civil society for ASEAN to sever all ties with the terrorist junta and provide protection and support to all those affected by the regime’s ongoing human rights violations and the weaponization of humanitarian aid. Additionally, the paper calls on ASEAN to pursue justice in Burma by holding the military accountable for perpetrating war crimes and crimes against humanity, and to prioritize justice and accountability under international law.

Moving forward, ASEAN needs to work with partners to increase pressure on the junta to end ongoing attacks on civilians. At the same time, it should expand humanitarian access through local civil society networks that support vulnerable groups. The 5PC must be reformed and not accepted as the sole tool for holding the junta accountable. Active efforts are essential to protect civilians, secure the release of political prisoners, and allow the free flow of life-saving humanitarian aid through cross-border channels to reach all areas without restrictions.

While ASEAN shares the concern of the people when it comes to stability, this cannot be achieved by a military regime that bombs its citizens and imprisons critics. True stability is only possible by supporting Burma’s pro-democracy movement, listening to their needs, and setting conditions that protect civilians while allowing real political participation.

For more information:

Name: Nai Aue Mon

Signal: +66 86 1679 741

Name: San Htoi

Signal: +66 657549336

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ND Burma

ND-Burma formed in 2004 in order to provide a way for Burma human rights organizations to collaborate on the human rights documentation process. The 13 ND-Burma member organizations seek to collectively use the truth of what communities in Burma have endured to advocate for justice for victims. ND-Burma trains local organizations in human rights documentation; coordinates members’ input into a common database using Martus, a secure open-source software; and engages in joint-advocacy campaigns.

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