ASEAN Must Uphold The SEA Games Spirit Amid Escalating Violence In Myanmar

Joint Media Statement – For Immediate Release

ASEAN Must Uphold The SEA Games Spirit Amid Escalating Violence In Myanmar

We, the undersigned, are deeply alarmed by the continued intensification of military airstrikes in Myanmar. The most recent attack took place on 10 December on the International Human Rights Day. The military junta warplane bombed a public hospital in Mrauk-U Township in Arakan State, killing at least 31 people, including women and children, patients and hospital staff and injuring at least 68 with many in critical conditions. On 5 December 2025 in Central Myanmar, the junta’s warplane bombed a tea shop in Depayin, Sagaing Region, where civilians had gathered peacefully to watch a replay of a SEA Games women’s football match between Myanmar and the Philippines. This attack claimed the lives of at least 18 people and injured more than 30 others. These tragic incidents are a stark reminder of the ongoing suffering faced by the people of Myanmar.

In light of this, we appeal to Malaysia as the current Chair and the Philippines as the incoming Chair of ASEAN to lead ASEAN to demand the illegal military junta in Myanmar to stop these aerial bombings. Such a gesture would send a powerful message of regional unity and moral leadership.

Within the true spirit of the SEA Games unity, mutual respect, and cooperation, we urge ASEAN to step up and take concrete action to cease the Myanmar military’s unprecedented violence in Myanmar. The Games symbolize more than athletic achievement; they represent a temporary truce, a neutral ground, and a powerful metaphor for peaceful coexistence. It is now incumbent upon regional leaders to honor that spirit by transforming the temporary goodwill of sports diplomacy into a political commitment with substantial action to ensure human security and peace for the people of Myanmar and the region.

Let the SEA Games fulfill their higher purpose: to remind us that we are neighbors bound by a shared region, a shared humanity, and a shared hope for peace.

For further information, contact Malaysia National Organizing Committee (MNOC) of ACSC/APF at apfacsc@gmail.com

Endorsed by:

Institution/ Organisation:

1. Greater Equitable Measures (GEM), Malaysia
2. ALTSEAN-Burma
3. Think Centre, Singapore
4. KontraS, Indonesia
5. Yangon Deaf Group
6. Kyae Lak Myay
7. YAPPIKA-ActionAid
8. Queers of Burma Alternative
9. Youth Congress Rohingya-YCR
10. New Myanmar Foundation
11. Women Lead Resource Center
12. Youth Empowerment
13. Magway Region Human Rights Network (MHRN)
14. သမိုင်းသယ်ဆောင်သူများ
15. Democracy Youth Myanmar (DYM)
16. Progressive Voice (PV)
17. Justice & Equality Focus (JEF)
18. Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network (RMCN)
19. Generation Wave (GW)
20. Nyan Lynn Thit Analytical
21. Blood Money Campaign (BMC)
22. Sitt Nyein Pann Foundation
23. Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR)
24. Volunteers in Myanmar
25. MyaYar Knowledge Tree
26. Kyauktada Strike Committee (KSC)
27. Defend Myanmar Democracy
28. ယိမ်းနွဲ့ပါး – Yain Nweh Par (Rainbow Win The Storm – RIS)
29. ASR-ASSOCIATION of SPRING RAINBOW
30. Yangon Deaf Group
31. Sisters2Sisters
32. Migrant CARE Indonesia
33. Myanmar Internet Project
34. Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI)
35. Athan – Freedom of Expression Activist Organization
36. Burma Human Rights Network-BHRN
37. Generations’ Solidarity Coalition of Nationalities (GSCN)
38. Movement for Alternatives and Solidarity in Southeast Asia
39. Arakan Youth Peace Network(AYPN)
40. Southern Initiatives- Myanmar

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