Hundreds of civil society organizations from Myanmar and across the globe have called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to formally reject the country’s newly established military-dominated administration, intensifying pressure on the regional bloc to take a firmer stance on the ongoing crisis.
In a joint open letter issued on Sunday, 201 groups including Progressive Voice and Justice for Myanmar urged ASEAN to bar representatives of the junta-backed regime from high-level meetings, arguing that the administration lacks legitimacy and public mandate.
The organizations said the regime emerged from what they described as a deeply flawed and “immensely violent” electoral process that excluded approximately 10.5 million voters, while an additional 11 million people boycotted the polls. They contrasted this with the 2020 election, noting that participation in the junta-organized vote was significantly lower.
According to The Irrawaddy, the letter also emphasized that ASEAN must reject what it called a “façade government” and any parliamentary structures formed under military oversight, warning that recognition would undermine regional credibility and embolden further repression.
The signatories highlighted the scale of violence since the 2021 military takeover, stating that nearly 9,800 airstrikes including bombing raids and drone attacks, have been carried out, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths and widespread destruction of infrastructure such as schools and religious sites.
They further called on ASEAN to cut off supply chains linked to weapons and aviation fuel that have enabled the junta’s air campaign, and to ensure that no member state facilitates the flow of resources used in attacks against civilians.
In addition, the groups urged ASEAN and its special envoy to engage directly with pro-democracy actors, including the National Unity Government and various ethnic resistance groups, to support an inclusive political process grounded in human rights and accountability.
The letter also pressed for stronger international legal action, encouraging ASEAN members such as Timor-Leste and Indonesia to support proceedings aimed at holding junta leaders accountable for alleged war crimes.
Humanitarian concerns featured prominently in the appeal, with the organizations urging ASEAN to bypass the military authorities and deliver aid directly through local networks and resistance-linked structures. They warned that Myanmar is facing a worsening crisis, with over 3.7 million people internally displaced and an estimated 12 million suffering from acute food insecurity this year.
The appeal concluded with a stark warning that ASEAN must choose between supporting the people of Myanmar or risking complicity in ongoing atrocities, calling on the current ASEAN chair, the Philippines, to lead a principled and rights-based response.
Meanwhile, military leaders, including junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, have recently transitioned into a nominally civilian administration following a controversial election, even as reports indicate continued airstrikes, arson attacks, and civilian casualties in resistance-held areas.
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