TO:
Government of Thailand
Prime Minister
H.E. Paetongtarn Shinawatra
Minister for Foreign Affairs
H.E. Maris Sangiampongsa
Governments of BIMSTEC Member States
Ministers for Foreign Affairs of
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka
BIMSTEC Secretariat
General Secretary
H.E. Indra Mani Pandey
29 March 2025
Dear BIMSTEC Leaders,
Re: Call to disinvite Min Aung Hlaing and exclude Myanmar military junta from BIMSTEC
In the lead-up to the BIMSTEC Summit, scheduled for April 3 to 4 in Bangkok, we the undersigned 319 organisations, write this open letter to call on the Government of Thailand and the leadership of BIMSTEC to take a stand against the illegal military junta and its commission of international crimes by:
- Barring the Myanmar junta head Min Aung Hlaing from the BIMSTEC Summit;
- Excluding all other military junta representatives and their appointees from all BIMSTEC meetings and events.
Since its coup attempt on February 1, 2021, the military has committed massacres, indiscriminate airstrikes, artillery shelling, sexual and gender-based violence, mass torture and mass arson. It has arbitrarily arrested over 28,900. Each year, the military junta has increased the frequency of its air strikes as well as the number of civilians killed and injured. The Myanmar military has conducted 4,631 airstrikes, including on internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, clinics, schools, and religious sites—a serious international crime that violates international humanitarian law. These include the use of fire bombs, which are prohibited in civilian areas. From their airstrikes alone, over 2,603 civilians have been killed and over 4,184 injured. As a result of these crimes, over 3 million people are now internally displaced. The military junta meets the criteria for a terrorist organisation under both Myanmar national law and as defined in international law.
The Myanmar military’s atrocities amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. These are being committed by the same military that stands accused of genocide and other international crimes against the Rohingya before the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court and in the universal jurisdiction case in Argentina. The federal criminal court in Argentina under universal jurisdiction recently ordered arrest warrants for 25 Myanmar individuals for their alleged roles in genocide and crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya, including junta head Min Aung Hlaing and other senior military officials.
The Myanmar military junta is not, by any definition, a government and therefore has no legitimacy to represent the people of Myanmar in any BIMSTEC meetings or activities, regardless of the level of the meeting or the junta representative.
When foreign governments and international organisations engage with the military junta as though it were a government, and/or enable the junta’s appointees and associates to network with the international community, this causes significant harms for the people of Myanmar, including:
- Emboldening the military junta and thereby increasing violence against civilians;
- Decisions being made illegitimately on behalf of Myanmar people;
- Legitimising the military junta and assisting their illegal attempts to appear as a government;
- Assisting the military junta to build relationships and gain access to funds and resources; and
- Ultimately, assisting the military junta in its war against the people of the country
Anyone providing legitimacy or facilitating the flow of funds and resources to the military junta risks being complicit in the junta’s ongoing atrocity crimes. Thus, it is extremely important to avoid facilitating any potential diplomatic and financial relationships between the Myanmar military junta and others through international meetings and networks.
Other intergovernmental organisations including ASEAN and the United Nations have already taken actions against the Myanmar military junta. For example, ASEAN has decided not to allow the Myanmar junta to assume the rotating leadership in 2026 and has excluded the junta from foreign ministers’ meetings and summits. The ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) has excluded the junta’s defence minister from summits. The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia boycotted an ADMM air force chiefs meeting hosted by the military junta. Singapore boycotted ADMM-Plus counter-terrorism training sessions hosted by the Myanmar military junta and Russia. All of these actions have been welcomed by the people of Myanmar.
Yet, further serious action is urgently needed. Your decision to exclude the illegal military junta from your upcoming visit and meetings would be in line with the United Nations’ decision to avoid allowing military junta members to represent Myanmar in the General Assembly. This request also echoes the concerns raised by the United Nations Special Rapporteur for the situation of human rights in Myanmar who recommends that ASEAN must not allow Myanmar military junta personnel to participate in any ASEAN meetings. He also calls on ASEAN Member States to: “not attend if the invitations to the junta military personnel are not rescinded.” Further, the Special Rapporteur urges that “Member States who support human rights, democracy, and the aspirations of the people of Myanmar publicly reject the SAC’s false claim as a legitimate government.”
We await your response with anticipation. Meanwhile, we will continue to monitor whether your actions support the people of Myanmar or the brutal and illegitimate military junta.
Sincerely,
This letter is endorsed by 319 organisations representing Myanmar, regional and international civil society, including the 285 organisations listed below and 34 organisations which have chosen not to disclose their names.
List of organisations:
- 5/of Zaya State Strike
- A-Yar-Taw People Strike
- Action Against Myanmar Military Coup (Sydney)
- Action Committee for Democracy Development (ACDD)
- Action Committee of Basic Education Students (ACBES)
- Ah Nah Podcast- conversations with Myanmar
- All Arakan Students’ & Youths’ Congress – AASYC
- All Aung Myay Thar San Schools Strike Force
- All Burma Federation of Student Unions (Monywa District)
- All Kachin Student’s and Youth Union – AKSYU
- Alliance of Students’ Union – Yangon (ASU-Yangon)
- ALTSEAN-Burma
- Amazeyate
- Anti-Junta Alliance Yangon-AJAY
- Anti-junta Forces Coordination Committee ( AFCC)
- Anti-junta Forces Coordination Committee (AFCC -Mandalay)
- Arakan Youth Peace Network
- Asia Youth’s Association AYA
- Asian Cultural Forum on Development
- Assistance Association for Political Prisoners -AAPP
- Association Suisse-Birmanie
- Athan – Freedom Of Expression Activist Organization
- Aung San Suu Kyi Park Norway
- Basic Education General Strike Committee (BEGSC)
- Basic Education Worker Unions – Steering Committee (BEWU-SC)
- Blood Money Campaign
- Boston Free Burma
- Building and Wood Workers Federation of Myanmar ( BWFM)
- Burma Action Institute (BAI)
- Burma Action Ireland
- Burma Affairs and Conflict Study (BACS)
- Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
- Campaign for Popular Democracy
- CAN-Myanmar
- CDM Medical Network (CDMMN)
- CEIAS (Central European Institute of Asian Studies)
- Chanmyatharzi Township People’s Strike
- Chaung Oo Township Youth Strike Committee
- Chin Community in Norway
- Chindwin (West) Villages Women Strike
- Civic Voice Communications
- Civil Health and Development Network (CHDN)
- Civil Information Network (CIN)
- Civil Society Organizations Coordination Committee (Monywa)
- Co-operative University Mandalay Students’ Strike
- Coalition Strike Committee – Dawei
- Community Resource Centre
- Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar
- Cross Cultural Foundation
- CRPH & NUG Supporters Ireland
- CRPH Funding Ireland
- CRPH Support Group In Norway
- Daung Sitthe Strike
- Dawei ( Ashaetaw) Women Strike
- Dawei Development Association
- Dawei Nursing School Students Union
- Dawei Youths Revolutionary Movement Strike Committee
- Defend Myanmar Democracy
- Democratic Party for a New Society, Norway
- Depayin Township Revolution Steering Committee
- Depayin Women Strike
- Doh Atu – Ensemble pour le Myanmar
- Educational Initiatives Prague
- Equality Myanmar
- Ethnic Youth General Strike Committee (Mandalay)
- ETOs Watch Coalition
- Federal Corner
- Federation of Sagaing Forum
- Food Workers’ Federation of Myanmar – FWFM
- For Our People
- Former Political Prisoners and New Generation Group – Monywa
- Free Rohingya Coalition (FRC)
- Freedom and Labor Action Group
- Freelance Volunteer Myanmar
- Friends Against Dictatorship (FAD)
- Gangaw Women Strike
- General Strike Collaboration Committee (GSCC)
- General Strike Committee of Basic and Higher Education (GSCBHE)
- General Strike Coordination Body (GSCB)
- Generation Wave
- Generations’ Solidarity Coalition of Nationalities -GSCN
- German Solidarity Myanmar e.V.
- Green Network Mergui Archipelago
- Home Vocational Training Center
- Human Right Educator Network -HREN
- Human Rights Defenders and Promoters-HRDP
- Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM)
- IDPs Support Group
- India for Myanmar
- Industrial Workers Federation Of Myanmar – IWFM/CTUM
- Industries Strike
- Info Birmanie
- Inle Women Union (IWU)
- INTEGRIA, z.u. (CZ)
- InternationalAssociation,MyanmarSwitzerland (IAMS)
- Justice and Equality Focus- JEF
- Justice For Myanmar
- Justice Movement for Community-Innlay
- K’cho Ethnic Association( Europe)
- Kachin Association Norway
- Kachin Environmental Group – KEG
- Kachin Human Rights Watch – KHRW
- Kachin Legal Aid Group-KLAG
- Kachin Student Union
- Kalay Township Strike Force
- Kalay Women Strike
- Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG).
- Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN)
- Karenni Human Rights Group-KnHRG
- Karenni Humanitarian Aid Initiative (KHAI)
- Karenni National Women’s Organizational (KNWO)
- Kayan New Generation Youth (KNGY)
- Kayan Rescue Committee (KRC)
- Kayaw Youth Organization (KwYO)
- Keng Tung Youth
- Khayan Supporting Community – Korea
- Kyae Lak Myay
- Kyain Seikgyi Spring Revolution Leading Committee
- Kyauktada Strike Committee (KSC)
- Latpadaung Region Strike Committee
- Let’s Help Each Other(LHEO)
- LGBT Alliance
- LGBT Alliance Myanmar (Kalay Region)
- LGBT Alliance Myanmar (Kyaukse Region)
- LGBT Community Yangon
- LGBT Union – Mandalay
- Local Development Network (LDN)
- Magway People’s Revolution Committee
- Magway Region Human Rights Network
- Maharaungmyay Township People’s Strike
- Mandalar University Students’ Strike
- Mandalay Alliance Coalition Strike
- Mandalay CDM Organization
- Mandalay Medical Family (MFM)
- Mandalay Strike Force (MSF)
- Mandalay Women Strike
- Mandalay Youth Strike
- Mandalay-based People’s Strike
- Mandalay-Based University Students’ Unions (MDY_SUs)
- MATA စစ်ကိုင်းတိုင်း
- MayMyo Strike Force
- Milk Tea Alliance – FriendsOfMyanmar
- Milk Tea Alliance Thailand
- MilkTeaAlliance Calendar Team
- Mon State Development Center (MSDC)
- Monywa LGBT Strike
- Monywa People’s Strike Steering Committee
- Monywa Women Strike
- Monywa-Amyint Road Strike Leading Committee
- Monywa-Amyint Road Women Strike
- Multi-Religions Strike
- Mya Taung Strike
- Myanmar Action Group Denmark
- Myanmar Catholic Community In Norway
- Myanmar Community in Norway
- Myanmar Hindu Union
- Myanmar Institute of Information Technology Students’ Strike
- Myanmar Labor Alliance (MLA)
- Myanmar Teachers Federation MTF
- Myanmar Tourism Committee
- Myat Won Thit Knowledge Society
- Myaung Youth Network
- MyaYar Knowledge Tree
- Myeik District Political Force
- Myingyan Civilian Movement Committee
- N.C.F.H. Theater Group
- National League for Democracy (Monywa Township)
- Nattalin Board of Education
- ND-Burma.
- Network of University Student Unions – Monywa
- New Myanmar Foundation
- New Power Generation
- New Step
- New York City Burmese community( NYCBC)
- NL(DLA) Jp
- NLD Organization Committee (International) Norway
- No Boundary Supporting Group
- No.12 Basic Education Branch High School (Maharaungmyay) Students’ Union
- Norway Matu Community
- Norway Rvwang Community
- NRFF – New Rehmonnya Federated Force
- Nway Oo Guru Lay Myar
- Olive organization
- Oway Institute
- Paju Myanmar Community
- Pakokku Youth Development Council
- Pakokku Youth Network
- Palaw Youth Network
- Pale Township People’s Strike Steering Committee
- PDFs Support Group
- Peace Rights Foundation
- Political and Civil Engagement Group
- Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM)
- Progressive Muslim Youth Association
- Progressive Voice
- Purple Window Counselling
- Pyi Gyi Tagon Strike Force
- Queers of Burma Alternative endorses
- Representative Committee of University Teacher Associations (RC of UTAs)
- Rohingya Community in Norway
- Samgha Sammaga-Mandalay
- Seinpann Strike
- Shan MATA
- Shwe Pan Kone People`s Strike Steering Committee
- Shwegu,Board of Education
- Sisters 2 Sisters
- Sitt Nyein Pann Foundation
- Southern Initiative
- Southern Youth Development Organization
- Spirit in Education Movement (SEM)
- Spring Bridge Foundation
- Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Community
- Spring Traveler
- Support Group for Democracy in Myanmar ( NL )
- Synergy – Social Harmony Organization
- Ta’ang Students and Youth Union (TSYU)
- Ta’ang Women’s Organization _ TWO
- Taiwan Alliance for Myanmar
- Tamar Institute of Development
- Tavoyan Women’s Union (TWU)
- Taze Strike Committee
- Taze Women Strike
- Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma
- Thailand NOC for ACSC/APF
- Thakhin Kodaw Mhine Peace Network (Monywa)
- Thanlwin Citizen Empowerment Program
- Thantaunggyi (BOE)
- Thayat Chaung Women Strike
- The Ladies Organization
- The 88 Generation Peace and Open Society (Monywa)
- The Ants – Humanitarian Aid Team
- The Mekong Butterfly
- The Mergui 88 Generation Peace & Open
- Thint Mart Lo Thu Myar Organization
- Twitter Team for Revolution (TTFR)
- U.S. Campaign for Burma
- Union for Civil Liberty (UCL)
- Union of Karenni State Youth-UKSY
- University Students’ Unions Alumni Force
- Volunteers in Myanmar
- WE Generation Network
- We support NUB-NB
- We’re the Same
- Wetlet Revolution Leading Committee
- Wetlet Township Women Strike
- White Coat Society Yangon (WCSY)
- Women Activists Myanmar
- Women Alliance Burma (WAB)
- Women for Women Foundation (WWF)
- Women Lead Resource Center
- Women’s League of Burma
- Women’s Organization Of Political Prisoners(WOPP)
- World Peace Working Group, Thailand
- Yadanabon University Students’ Union (YDNBUSU)
- Yangon Deaf Group
- Yangon Rangers – Rescue Team
- Yangon Women Strike
- Yasakyo Township People`s Strike Steering Committee
- Yinmarpin and Salingyi All Villages Strike Committee
- Young People for Social Democracy YPD-Thai
- Youth Development Institute
- Youth Empowerment
- Youth for Democratization of Myanmar (UDM)
- Youth Heart Beams
- Zomi Christian Fellowship of Norway
- Zomi Community Norway
- พระต้น จิรวฑฺฒโน
- ကြားကာလ မြန်မာ့ မီးရထား ကောင်စီ (IMRAC)
- ကော့သောင်းခရိုင်နိုင်ငံရေးအင်အားစု – KDPF
- စစ်ကိုင်း ကလေးလူထုတိုက်ပွဲ ဦးဆောင်ကော်မတီ
- စစ်အာဏာသိမ်းမှုဆန့်ကျင်ရေးကော်မတီ (ကိုရီးယား)
- ဒို့မြေကွန်ရက် – Land In Our Hands
- ပြည်သူ့ဂုဏ်ရည် နယူးဇီလန်
- ပြည်သူ့သပိတ်အင်အားစု
- မကွေးဒေသ တော်လှန်ရေး အင်အားစုများ ကွန်ရက်
- မန်းတိုင်းဆုံစည်းရာ
- မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ တောင်သူလယ်သမားနှင့် စိုက်ပျိုးရေး အလုပ်သမား သမဂ္ဂများ အဖွဲ့ချုပ် (AFFM)
- မြန်မာမွတ်စလင်အစည်းအရုံး BMA
- ယိမ်းနွဲ့ပါး
- ယောလူထုတိုက်ပွဲကော်မတီ
- သပြေညိုရွှေဘိုပန်း-TPN-SBO
- သမိုင်းသယ်ဆောင်သူများ
- သောင်ရင်းသတင်းလွှာ(မီဒီယာ)
- အညာတောအိမ်
- အညာလွင်ပြင်ရပ်ဝန်း
Myanmar version.