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Myanmar Junta Refuses ASEAN’s Request to Meet Suu Kyi

October 15, 2021/in News

Myanmar’s military regime has officially turned down the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) special envoy’s request to meet detained leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the junta’s Foreign Ministry said. Erywan Yusof, Brunei’s Second Minister of Foreign Affairs, was appointed as ASEAN’s special envoy to Myanmar in August in an effort to mediate the […]

Weekly Update on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar: Post-Crop (4 October – 10 October 2021)

October 11, 2021/in HR Situation

Myanmar Junta Refuses ASEAN’s Request to Meet Suu Kyi

October 15, 2021/in News

Weekly Update on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar: Post-Crop (4 October – 10 October 2021)

October 11, 2021/in HR Situation

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Myanmar Junta Refuses ASEAN’s Request to Meet Suu Kyi

October 15, 2021/in News

Erywan Yusof, Brunei’s Second Minister of Foreign Affairs, was appointed as ASEAN’s special envoy to Myanmar in August in an effort to mediate the country’s political crisis. He has been trying to visit Myanmar since then as part of agreements made between the military regime and the regional bloc to resolve the issues Myanmar had been facing since the junta’s February 1 coup.

Earlier this month, the envoy proposed a four-day visit from October 11-14 and requested to meet with all stakeholders in the country, including ousted State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Last week, the junta refused to allow the meeting with Suu Kyi and Erywan Yusof has since insisted on it.

On Thursday, the regime’s Foreign Ministry said that as Myanmar has been prioritizing peace and tranquility in the country, it will be difficult to accommodate requests that go beyond existing laws, meaning that a meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is impossible.

“In this respect, the special envoy and international community need to show some understanding about the situation,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement added that Myanmar has demonstrated flexibility in every possible way to facilitate the visit and that the special envoy should use his first trip to meet with relevant parties and to build trust and confidence between the special envoy and Myanmar, a reference to the junta’s plan to allow Mr Yusof to meet with people and politicians close to the regime.

So far, Erywan Yusof has yet to respond to the junta’s statement, which didn’t even mention Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Although the regime has yet to offer an official reason for why the special envoy can’t meet Suu Kyi, its spokesperson told the media that it was “because she is facing some charges.”

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, 75, faces 11 cases – including sedition and corruption – filed against her by the junta.

However, the regime’s refusal to allow Mr Yusof to meet Suu Kyi could lead to coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing being excluded from an upcoming ASEAN summit at the end of the month. Some members of the regional bloc have expressed their frustration at the junta’s refusal to comply with an existing and agreed roadmap to peace. ASEAN foreign ministers are set to discuss excluding the coup leader from the summit at a meeting today.

If Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing is excluded, it will be a huge embarrassment to the regime, which has desperately been seeking official recognition from other countries, especially those in ASEAN, as Myanmar’s rightful government. The regime is regarded as an outcast by much of the international community, especially in the west, for its coup and subsequent brutality in killing over 1,000 peaceful anti-regime protesters.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has already shunned the junta, after postponing a virtual meeting with ASEAN foreign ministers last week at the last minute. Reuters reported that the postponement was to avoid signaling recognition of the regime by being in the same online room as the junta’s Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin.

Irrawaddy News

Weekly Update on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar: Post-Crop (4 October – 10 October 2021)

October 11, 2021/in HR Situation

A grave milestone was passed in September – by the end of the month, almost 100 people had been killed by the senseless violence of the Myanmar junta, including a toddler and several seniors. ND-Burma members are risking their lives to document the ongoing human rights abuses which are being carried out by the regime. The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) has provided regular on the ground updates which highlight the urgency of the atrocities taking place. Compounded with an Internet shutdown, civilians are fleeing. Those attempting to return to retrieve belongings from their villages risk being killed in the crossfire. Under the cover of darkness, the junta has proven they are more likely to commit widespread, systematic violence. In Chin State and Magway region, the state-sponsored crackdown is intensifying as the flow of information is being prevented and weaponized.

In addition, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland has observed an increase in arbitrary arrests and abductions, particularly of young people. Targeted violence against women and girls is also on the rise, with the whereabouts of women human rights defenders and journalists unknown. Checkpoints and warrantless raids are exacerbating an already worsening situation. Weak justice systems and a complete lack of trust in the junta has made it harder for locals to have any hope in their well-being.

Despite the mounting evidence and atrocities being committed, the international community continues to be slow to act. There are many lessons to be learned over the decades of support from the civil war in Myanmar, and yet intentional leaders continue to be seemingly mystified by the junta’s lack of willingness to compromise or negotiate. The delay in meaningful consequences has only emboldened the regime to perpetuate human rights violations with impunity. Countries including India and Russia are still providing highly advanced weapons to the junta which are being used to destroy and demoralize civilian livelihoods. Between February and September 2021, 206,000 people were displaced internally due to armed clashes and insecurity.

Victories such as the Burma Bill which was introduced by New York Democratic Party representative Gregory Meeks is part of a greater effort by Myanmar’s civil society organizations which sanctions against those responsible for the attempted coup. The bill notably calls on the UN and the US government to classify the miliary’s persecution of the Rohingya, a genocide. The French Senate also announced a resolution to recognize the National Unity Government as the formal, legitimate government.

CHIN STATE

The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) documented several cases of ongoing assaults against civilians in Mindat, Thantlang and Hakha, including a civilian who was shot and injured and injured by the junta when he attempted to deliver food to a family member in Thantlang. The majority of residents have fled, though those trying to return to retrieve belongings are being shot at and turned away. The arrests, and deaths of civilians are ongoing as part of the junta’s war on terror.

KACHIN STATE

The Myanmar junta has sent reinforcements to Kachin State as clashes between the Kachin Independence Army intensify. Fearful villagers have abandoned their homes and left to seek safety in monasteries and neighbouring areas. The regime is continuing their senseless violence.

KAYAH STATE

According to the Karenni Human Rights Organization (KHRO), over 200 civilians, including 30 volunteers assisting displaced villagers were arrested by the junta. The youngest detainee is only 15 years old, and the oldest a senior who is over 50 years of age. Aid workers in Kayah State have been targeted for their efforts to support IDPs. Last month, junta soldiers shot at a vehicle attempting to deliver food rations. Fifty homes in Kayah were destroyed during a three-day rampage spree by the junta who shelled and looted civilian properties. An elderly civilian was also killed in his home. Since May, over 130 000 have been displaced in the State.

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Spring Revolution

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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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