Open letter from 319 organizations to disinvite Min Aung Hlaing and exclude Myanmar military junta from BIMSTEC

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:

1. Barring the Myanmar junta head Min Aung Hlaing from the BIMSTEC Summit;
2. 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:

1. 5/of Zaya State Strike
2. A-Yar-Taw People Strike
3. Action Against Myanmar Military Coup (Sydney)
4. Action Committee for Democracy Development (ACDD)
5. Action Committee of Basic Education Students (ACBES)
6. Ah Nah Podcast- conversations with Myanmar
7. All Arakan Students’ & Youths’ Congress – AASYC
8. All Aung Myay Thar San Schools Strike Force
9. All Burma Federation of Student Unions (Monywa District)
10. All Kachin Student’s and Youth Union – AKSYU
11. Alliance of Students’ Union – Yangon (ASU-Yangon)
12. ALTSEAN-Burma
13. Amazeyate
14. Anti-Junta Alliance Yangon-AJAY
15. Anti-junta Forces Coordination Committee ( AFCC)
16. Anti-junta Forces Coordination Committee (AFCC -Mandalay)
17. Arakan Youth Peace Network
18. Asia Youth’s Association AYA
19. Asian Cultural Forum on Development
20. Assistance Association for Political Prisoners -AAPP
21. Association Suisse-Birmanie
22. Athan – Freedom Of Expression Activist Organization
23. Aung San Suu Kyi Park Norway
24. Basic Education General Strike Committee (BEGSC)
25. Basic Education Worker Unions – Steering Committee (BEWU-SC)
26. Blood Money Campaign
27. Boston Free Burma
28. Building and Wood Workers Federation of Myanmar ( BWFM)
29. Burma Action Institute (BAI)
30. Burma Action Ireland
31. Burma Affairs and Conflict Study (BACS)
32. Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
33. Campaign for Popular Democracy
34. CAN-Myanmar
35. CDM Medical Network (CDMMN)
36. CEIAS (Central European Institute of Asian Studies)
37. Chanmyatharzi Township People’s Strike
38. Chaung Oo Township Youth Strike Committee
39. Chin Community in Norway
40. Chindwin (West) Villages Women Strike
41. Civic Voice Communications
42. Civil Health and Development Network (CHDN)
43. Civil Information Network (CIN)
44. Civil Society Organizations Coordination Committee (Monywa)
45. Co-operative University Mandalay Students’ Strike
46. Coalition Strike Committee – Dawei
47. Community Resource Centre
48. Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar
49. Cross Cultural Foundation
50. CRPH & NUG Supporters Ireland
51. CRPH Funding Ireland
52. CRPH Support Group In Norway
53. Daung Sitthe Strike
54. Dawei ( Ashaetaw) Women Strike
55. Dawei Development Association
56. Dawei Nursing School Students Union
57. Dawei Youths Revolutionary Movement Strike Committee
58. Defend Myanmar Democracy
59. Democratic Party for a New Society, Norway
60. Depayin Township Revolution Steering Committee
61. Depayin Women Strike
62. Doh Atu – Ensemble pour le Myanmar
63. Educational Initiatives Prague
64. Equality Myanmar
65. Ethnic Youth General Strike Committee (Mandalay)
66. ETOs Watch Coalition
67. Federal Corner
68. Federation of Sagaing Forum
69. Food Workers’ Federation of Myanmar – FWFM
70. For Our People
71. Former Political Prisoners and New Generation Group – Monywa
72. Free Rohingya Coalition (FRC)
73. Freedom and Labor Action Group
74. Freelance Volunteer Myanmar
75. Friends Against Dictatorship (FAD)
76. Gangaw Women Strike
77. General Strike Collaboration Committee (GSCC)
78. General Strike Committee of Basic and Higher Education (GSCBHE)
79. General Strike Coordination Body (GSCB)
80. Generation Wave
81. Generations’ Solidarity Coalition of Nationalities -GSCN
82. German Solidarity Myanmar e.V.
83. Green Network Mergui Archipelago
84. Home Vocational Training Center
85. Human Right Educator Network -HREN
86. Human Rights Defenders and Promoters-HRDP
87. Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM)
88. IDPs Support Group
89. India for Myanmar
90. Industrial Workers Federation Of Myanmar – IWFM/CTUM
91. Industries Strike
92. Info Birmanie
93. Inle Women Union (IWU)
94. INTEGRIA, z.u. (CZ)
95. InternationalAssociation,MyanmarSwitzerland (IAMS)
96. Justice and Equality Focus- JEF
97. Justice For Myanmar
98. Justice Movement for Community-Innlay
99. K’cho Ethnic Association( Europe)
100. Kachin Association Norway
101. Kachin Environmental Group – KEG
102. Kachin Human Rights Watch – KHRW
103. Kachin Legal Aid Group-KLAG
104. Kachin Student Union
105. Kalay Township Strike Force
106. Kalay Women Strike
107. Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG).
108. Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN)
109. Karenni Human Rights Group-KnHRG
110. Karenni Humanitarian Aid Initiative (KHAI)
111. Karenni National Women’s Organizational (KNWO)
112. Kayan New Generation Youth (KNGY)
113. Kayan Rescue Committee (KRC)
114. Kayaw Youth Organization (KwYO)
115. Keng Tung Youth
116. Khayan Supporting Community – Korea
117. Kyae Lak Myay
118. Kyain Seikgyi Spring Revolution Leading Committee
119. Kyauktada Strike Committee (KSC)
120. Latpadaung Region Strike Committee
121. Let’s Help Each Other(LHEO)
122. LGBT Alliance
123. LGBT Alliance Myanmar (Kalay Region)
124. LGBT Alliance Myanmar (Kyaukse Region)
125. LGBT Community Yangon
126. LGBT Union – Mandalay
127. Local Development Network (LDN)
128. Magway People’s Revolution Committee
129. Magway Region Human Rights Network
130. Maharaungmyay Township People’s Strike
131. Mandalar University Students’ Strike
132. Mandalay Alliance Coalition Strike
133. Mandalay CDM Organization
134. Mandalay Medical Family (MFM)
135. Mandalay Strike Force (MSF)
136. Mandalay Women Strike
137. Mandalay Youth Strike
138. Mandalay-based People’s Strike
139. Mandalay-Based University Students’ Unions (MDY_SUs)
140. MATA စစ်ကိုင်းတိုင်း
141. MayMyo Strike Force
142. Milk Tea Alliance – FriendsOfMyanmar
143. Milk Tea Alliance Thailand
144. MilkTeaAlliance Calendar Team
145. Mon State Development Center (MSDC)
146. Monywa LGBT Strike
147. Monywa People’s Strike Steering Committee
148. Monywa Women Strike
149. Monywa-Amyint Road Strike Leading Committee
150. Monywa-Amyint Road Women Strike
151. Multi-Religions Strike
152. Mya Taung Strike
153. Myanmar Action Group Denmark
154. Myanmar Catholic Community In Norway
155. Myanmar Community in Norway
156. Myanmar Hindu Union
157. Myanmar Institute of Information Technology Students’ Strike
158. Myanmar Labor Alliance (MLA)
159. Myanmar Teachers Federation MTF
160. Myanmar Tourism Committee
161. Myat Won Thit Knowledge Society
162. Myaung Youth Network
163. MyaYar Knowledge Tree
164. Myeik District Political Force
165. Myingyan Civilian Movement Committee
166. N.C.F.H. Theater Group
167. National League for Democracy (Monywa Township)
168. Nattalin Board of Education
169. ND-Burma.
170. Network of University Student Unions – Monywa
171. New Myanmar Foundation
172. New Power Generation
173. New Step
174. New York City Burmese community( NYCBC)
175. NL(DLA) Jp
176. NLD Organization Committee (International) Norway
177. No Boundary Supporting Group
178. No.12 Basic Education Branch High School (Maharaungmyay) Students’ Union
179. Norway Matu Community
180. Norway Rvwang Community
181. NRFF – New Rehmonnya Federated Force
182. Nway Oo Guru Lay Myar
183. Olive organization
184. Oway Institute
185. Paju Myanmar Community
186. Pakokku Youth Development Council
187. Pakokku Youth Network
188. Palaw Youth Network
189. Pale Township People’s Strike Steering Committee
190. PDFs Support Group
191. Peace Rights Foundation
192. Political and Civil Engagement Group
193. Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM)
194. Progressive Muslim Youth Association
195. Progressive Voice
196. Purple Window Counselling
197. Pyi Gyi Tagon Strike Force
198. Queers of Burma Alternative endorses
199. Representative Committee of University Teacher Associations (RC of UTAs)
200. Rohingya Community in Norway
201. Samgha Sammaga-Mandalay
202. Seinpann Strike
203. Shan MATA
204. Shwe Pan Kone People`s Strike Steering Committee
205. Shwegu,Board of Education
206. Sisters 2 Sisters
207. Sitt Nyein Pann Foundation
208. Southern Initiative
209. Southern Youth Development Organization
210. Spirit in Education Movement (SEM)
211. Spring Bridge Foundation
212. Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Community
213. Spring Traveler
214. Support Group for Democracy in Myanmar ( NL )
215. Synergy – Social Harmony Organization
216. Ta’ang Students and Youth Union (TSYU)
217. Ta’ang Women’s Organization _ TWO
218. Taiwan Alliance for Myanmar
219. Tamar Institute of Development
220. Tavoyan Women’s Union (TWU)
221. Taze Strike Committee
222. Taze Women Strike
223. Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma
224. Thailand NOC for ACSC/APF
225. Thakhin Kodaw Mhine Peace Network (Monywa)
226. Thanlwin Citizen Empowerment Program
227. Thantaunggyi (BOE)
228. Thayat Chaung Women Strike
229. The Ladies Organization
230. The 88 Generation Peace and Open Society (Monywa)
231. The Ants – Humanitarian Aid Team
232. The Mekong Butterfly
233. The Mergui 88 Generation Peace & Open
234. Thint Mart Lo Thu Myar Organization
235. Twitter Team for Revolution (TTFR)
236. U.S. Campaign for Burma
237. Union for Civil Liberty (UCL)
238. Union of Karenni State Youth-UKSY
239. University Students’ Unions Alumni Force
240. Volunteers in Myanmar
241. WE Generation Network
242. We support NUB-NB
243. We’re the Same
244. Wetlet Revolution Leading Committee
245. Wetlet Township Women Strike
246. White Coat Society Yangon (WCSY)
247. Women Activists Myanmar
248. Women Alliance Burma (WAB)
249. Women for Women Foundation (WWF)
250. Women Lead Resource Center
251. Women’s League of Burma
252. Women’s Organization Of Political Prisoners(WOPP)
253. World Peace Working Group, Thailand
254. Yadanabon University Students’ Union (YDNBUSU)
255. Yangon Deaf Group
256. Yangon Rangers – Rescue Team
257. Yangon Women Strike
258. Yasakyo Township People`s Strike Steering Committee
259. Yinmarpin and Salingyi All Villages Strike Committee
260. Young People for Social Democracy YPD-Thai
261. Youth Development Institute
262. Youth Empowerment
263. Youth for Democratization of Myanmar (UDM)
264. Youth Heart Beams
265. Zomi Christian Fellowship of Norway
266. Zomi Community Norway
267. พระต้น จิรวฑฺฒโน
268. ကြားကာလ မြန်မာ့ မီးရထား ကောင်စီ (IMRAC)
269. ကော့သောင်းခရိုင်နိုင်ငံရေးအင်အားစု – KDPF
270. ​စစ်ကိုင်း ​ကလေးလူထုတိုက်ပွဲ ဦးဆောင်ကော်မတီ
271. စစ်အာဏာသိမ်းမှုဆန့်ကျင်ရေးကော်မတီ (ကိုရီးယား)
272. ဒို့မြေကွန်ရက် – Land In Our Hands
273. ပြည်သူ့ဂုဏ်ရည် နယူးဇီလန်
274. ပြည်သူ့သပိတ်အင်အားစု
275. မကွေးဒေသ တော်လှန်ရေး အင်အားစုများ ကွန်ရက်
276. မန်းတိုင်းဆုံစည်းရာ
277. မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ တောင်သူလယ်သမားနှင့် စိုက်ပျိုးရေး အလုပ်သမား သမဂ္ဂများ အဖွဲ့ချုပ် (AFFM)
278. မြန်မာမွတ်စလင်အစည်းအရုံး BMA
279. ယိမ်းနွဲ့ပါး
280. ယောလူထုတိုက်ပွဲကော်မတီ
281. သပြေညိုရွှေဘိုပန်း-TPN-SBO
282. သမိုင်းသယ်ဆောင်သူများ
283. သောင်ရင်းသတင်းလွှာ(မီဒီယာ)
284. အညာ​တောအိမ်
285. အညာလွင်ပြင်ရပ်ဝန်း

Myanmar version.