On July 13^th, Southeast Asia’s foreign ministers condemned the ongoing conflict and human rights abuses in Myanmar – two of the central issues that dominated that week’s talks in Indonesia, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (A.S.E.A.N.). The human rights abuses Myanmar’s military junta has been perpetuating against pro-democracy opposition following the 2021 coup have served as a source of tension within the bloc, which is made up of member states Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. While Malaysia has called for stronger condemnation of the junta, Thailand invited military officials to talks in June, justifying the move as a means of “re-engagement” and exposing divisions within A.S.E.A.N. regarding Myanmar.

The junta’s foreign minister was not present at the talks, as Myanmar’s regime leadership has been excluded from top-level meetings since late 2021 due to its failure to implement A.S.E.A.N.’s peace plan, the Five-Point Consensus (5PC).

In the Joint Communiqué of the 56th A.S.E.A.N. Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the diplomats re-iterated their disapproval. “We strongly condemned the continued acts of violence, including air strikes, artillery shelling, and destruction of public facilities and urged all parties involved to take concrete action to immediately halt indiscriminate violence,” the body wrote.

In response to the bloc’s condemnation, the regime’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a response rejecting the statement, claiming that it relied on “unfair and one-sided facts without reflecting the efforts of the member state to restore a genuine democratic system by peaceful means.” In reality, the junta has continued air raids, artillery strikes, and arbitrary arrests and killings against opposition throughout the country. According to The Irrawaddy, a news website founded by Burmese exiles, the junta had killed 3,793 people since the coup as of Friday, July 14^th, when the foreign ministry stated that it was working to peacefully restore democracy.

The regime’s ongoing human rights violations are rooted in the country’s complex political history. After experiencing decades of military rule since 1962, a military-dominated civilian parliament was established in 2011 with hopes to strengthen the country’s democracy. However, these hopes were quashed following a military coup in February 2021, which resulted in the arrest of State Counsellor and de facto leader of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, alongside other politicians, lawmakers, and activists. Suu Kyi had cases of COVID-19 rule violations, illegal ownership of walkie-talkies, and corruption brought against her and was sentenced to 31 years of imprisonment. Military rule was then established in the country under military-appointed Acting President Myint Swe and Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

The military has faced opposition from former lawmakers, protest leaders, and activists. Together, these people formed a shadow government known as the National Unity Government (N.U.G.), which then allied itself with local militias and armed organizations of ethnic minorities – who had been in conflict with and faced intense persecution from the military for decades – in order to foster unity amongst opposition groups. In September 2021, the N.U.G. declared war on the junta and formed the People’s Defence Force, with military clashes occurring throughout most of Myanmar. The junta responded to opposition with a brutal, internationally condemned military crackdown: shooting at civilian protesters and into homes; launching ground and air attacks throughout the country, which has destroyed entire villages; and killing and displacing civilians, intensifying the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

The country’s revised Organization Registration Law has served to heavily restrict the activities of N.G.O.s which might otherwise provide humanitarian aid to the area. According to Amnesty International, thousands of pro-democracy lawmakers, journalists, rights activists, medical workers, and civilians supporting resistance to the coup have faced arbitrary arrests, unfair trials, long prison sentences with hard labor, and execution.

In an unprecedented departure from its usual principle of non-interference, following the crisis in Myanmar, A.S.E.A.N.’s leaders introduced the Five-point Consensus (5PC), which Myanma junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and the leaders of A.S.E.A.N.’s nine other states signed in April 2021. The plan calls for an immediate end to all violence in Myanmar, a constructive dialogue and peaceful solution between all parties, a special envoy of the A.S.E.A.N. chair to facilitate meditation, humanitarian assistance from A.S.E.A.N., and a visit to Myanmar from the special envoy and delegation to meet with all parties concerned.

While A.S.E.A.N. has repeatedly condemned Myanmar’s continued atrocities and failure to honor the 5PC plan, some say that A.S.E.A.N.’s enforcement of existing measures is not enough. In a March 2023 analysis of the bloc’s role in reaching a peaceful solution in Myanmar, researchers Shayna Bauchner and Andreas Harsono criticized chair Indonesia’s lack of action regarding Myanmar, which, as a member state, has violated the joint agreement and the A.S.E.A.N. charter’s principles of democracy, rule of law, and human rights. Bauchner and Harsono argue that, even ignoring the divisions within A.S.E.A.N. and certain states’ (like Thailand and Cambodia’s) reticence to isolate Myanmar, simply urging Myanmar to honor the 5PC has not been effective. Their analysis recommends more punitive measures, such as toughening oil and gas sanctions, establishing sanctions against the military, taking steps with the Security Council to impose a global arms embargo, and even referring Myanmar to the International Criminal Court.

Tangible implementation of the 5PC and Myanmar’s fulfillment of its human rights obligations are essential in order to properly reach a resolution that will end the violence millions are facing in Myanmar. Within the peace process, providing aid to members of civil society and local organizers, as well as formally collaborating with pro-democracy opposition politicians, is necessary. A.S.E.A.N. and the rest of the international community must address the atrocities and blatant abuses of human rights Myanmar’s junta is carrying out in order to eventually establish a peaceful, democratic government.