Open letter: Removal of the membership of the dis-accredited Myanmar National Human Rights Commission from the Southeast Asia National Human Rights Institution Forum
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Southeast Asia National Human Rights Institution Forum
Honorable Chairperson Dr. Atnike Nova Sigiro
National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), Indonesia
Honorable Provedor Mr. Virgilio da Silva Guterres
Provedor de Direitos Humanos e Justiça (PDHJ), Timor-Leste
Honorable Chairperson Mr. Dato’ Seri Mohd Hishamudin Yunus
Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM)
Honorable Chairperson Atty. Richard Paat Palpal-latoc
Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Philippines
Honorable Chairperson Ms. Pornprapai Ganjanarintr
National Human Rights Commission of Thailand
28 February 2025
Open letter: Removal of the membership of the dis-accredited Myanmar National Human Rights Commission from the Southeast Asia National Human Rights Institution Forum
Dear Honorable Commissioners,
We, the CSO Working Group on Independent National Human Rights Institution (Burma/Myanmar) (Working Group) and the Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI), write to you regarding the decision of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) to remove the accreditation status of the military junta-controlled Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) as of 31 December 2024. We urgently request the Southeast Asia National Human Rights Institution Forum (SEANF) to take the necessary actions to remove the MNHRC from your network without delay.
Given SEANF’s status as a forum of credible national human rights institutions working for the promotion and protection of human rights in the region, the MNHRC’s silence on allegations against the Myanmar military—including those relating to genocide and other international crimes at the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court—are in direct contradiction with the spirit of the network. Allowing the continuation of the MNHRC’s membership with SEANF risks jeopardizing the institutional integrity and credibility of the Forum. SEANF’s other members—all of whom hold ‘A’ status—have the responsibility not only to protect, but also to strengthen the Forum’s institutional integrity and credibility. In this regard, removing the MNHRC is the principled and reasonable next step. It is vital that the junta-controlled MNHRC no longer be allowed to claim accreditation or credibility from any regional or global platform and that it face the consequences of its complicity in the junta’s widespread and systematic human rights violations.
GANHRI’s decision to remove the MNHRC confirms the global network’s refusal to condone the MNHRC’s blatant non-compliance with the Paris Principles, and we sincerely hope that SEANF will act with urgency to send the same message of accountability. The removal of the MNHRC from SEANF also presents an opportunity to strengthen the Forum and its collective efforts to advance human rights, justice, and accountability in the region.
We also strongly encourage SEANF to publicly announce the termination of the MNHRC’s membership and promptly update relevant information on all its channels. In tandem, SEANF should immediately end all forms of engagements with the MNHRC. We look forward to receiving confirmation of the formal removal of the MNHRC from your human rights network.
As we work towards the establishment of a new independent and impartial national human rights commission of Myanmar—one that fully complies with the Paris Principles—we look forward to SEANF’s support, collaboration, and future endorsement of this endeavor. Your decisive action to remove the MNHRC from your network will signal SEANF’s strong commitment to human rights and accountability to the people of Myanmar and the region.
Sincerely,
The CSO Working Group on Independent National Human Rights Institution (Burma/Myanmar)
The Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI)
For any further inquiries, please contact:
- The CSO Working Group on Independent National Human Rights Institution (Burma/Myanmar); [email protected]
- ANNI Secretariat, FORUM-ASIA; [email protected]
About the Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI)
The Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) was established in December 2006. It is a network of Asian non-governmental organisations and human rights defenders working on issues related to National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs). ANNI currently has 33 member organisations from 21 countries or territories. ANNI members work on strengthening the work and functioning of Asian NHRIs to better promote and protect human rights as well as to advocate for the improved compliance of Asian NHRIs with international standards, including the Paris Principles and General Observations of the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA) of the Global Alliance of NHRIs (GANHRI). The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) has served as the Secretariat of ANNI since its establishment in 2006.
More information at: http://l.forum-asia.org/ANNI
About the CSO Working Group on Independent National Human Rights Institution (Burma/Myanmar)
The CSO Working Group on Independent National Human Rights Institution (Burma/Myanmar) advocates for the establishment of a new NHRI—tentatively named the Union Human Rights Commission—to replace the illegitimate MNHRC which has aligned itself with the illegal military junta. The Working Group was previously known as the ‘CSO Working Group on MNHRC Reform.’ Currently, it consists of 20 Myanmar civil society organizations. From its founding in 2019 until the attempted coup in February 2021, the Working Group consistently advocated for an effective MNHRC that demonstrates a commitment to the international standards set forth in the Paris Principles.
More information at: https://www.facebook.com/WGonNHRIBurma
Twitter: @WG_MMNHRI
