The National Unity Government (NUG) issued a statement on March 19 urging the ASEAN Chair, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, to effectively address the military junta’s violence in Myanmar. The statement notes that with the international community’s primary focus on Ukraine, ASEAN has an opportunity to take a leading role in addressing Myanmar’s worsening crisis. The NUG emphasized that this presents a crucial opportunity for ASEAN to demonstrate regional leadership in handling the deteriorating situation.
Under Malaysia’s rotating ASEAN chairmanship, the organization needs to maintain its commitments to human rights and regional security, according to the NUG statement. The statement emphasizes that now is the time for decisive action to restore justice and peace for each Myanmar citizen. The current situation demands concrete steps that can lead to meaningful changes in the lives of Myanmar’s people who have been suffering under military rule.
The NUG has called on ASEAN to move beyond the Five-Point Consensus and establish practical measures to support a process that aligns with the Myanmar people’s wishes. The statement specifically highlighted recent military attacks, including an airstrike on a monastery in Naung Cho, northern Shan State, as evidence of the military council’s systematic targeting of civilians. These attacks demonstrate the military’s continued pattern of deliberate violence against civilian populations.
The statement details the rising civilian death toll due to the military council’s airstrikes on religious buildings and civilian areas in Sagaing, Mandalay, and Magway regions, as well as Shan State. The NUG emphasizes the urgent need for ASEAN to take more effective action to stop these acts of violence and ensure accountability. The statement underscores the critical importance of ASEAN’s role in addressing the humanitarian crisis and preventing further civilian casualties in Myanmar, calling for concrete measures that go beyond diplomatic statements to protect civilian lives and restore democratic governance in the country.
