285 civil society organizations have submitted an open letter demanding strong policy approaches and decisive leadership from Malaysia, the current ASEAN Chair, to address the worsening crisis in Myanmar. As Malaysia prepares to host the 46th ASEAN Summit and related meetings at the end of this month, the civil society organizations have urgently called on Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to provide firm leadership in establishing robust policy approaches to handle the deteriorating situation in Myanmar.
The civil society organizations emphasized that ASEAN must sever all ties with the Myanmar military council and establish formal, transparent relationships with the legitimate National Unity Government (NUG) and Ethnic Revolutionary Organizations (EROs). They strongly criticized the Malaysian Prime Minister’s meeting with Min Aung Hlaing in April, describing it as a major mistake that caused additional suffering for the people rather than a diplomatic necessity. The organizations stated that this meeting wrongly legitimized the military council and effectively authorized the military to continue its brutal attacks and airstrikes against civilians.
Min Aung Hlaing is responsible for genocide against the Rohingya, war crimes, and crimes against humanity against the Myanmar people. Since the illegal coup in 2021, the military council’s brutal crimes, village burnings, and targeted attacks on civilian areas and shelters have forced at least 3.5 million people to flee their homes. Notably, the May 12, 2025 airstrike in Depayin Township, Sagaing Region, which killed 22 schoolchildren and 2 teachers, serves as additional evidence of the military’s disregard for human life and international law. The civil society organizations called for Malaysia to urgently cut ties with the Myanmar military council and provide leadership that supports the Myanmar people’s revolution for dismantling the military dictatorship and establishing federal democracy.
