The Philippines Must Take Urgent and Bolder Actions within the ASEAN to Help Dramatically Improve the Human Rights and Political Situation in Myanmar

The Philippines Must Take Urgent and Bolder Actions within the ASEAN to Help Dramatically Improve the Human Rights and Political Situation in Myanmar

Leila M. de Lima
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives Senior Deputy Minority Leader
6 May 2026

A potential flashpoint in this week’s ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in Cebu, which the Philippines is chairing, is how the ASEAN will deal in a more direct fashion the matter of Myanmar’s self-appointed President, Ming Aung Hlaing, and his junta’s recent desperate moves to be on the good side of the ASEAN and the international community.

The ASEAN leaders must not be misled or deceived. Recall the sham elections held in December and January. Recall as well the convening in March of a parliament with questionable legitimacy, where Ming Aung Hlaing was “elected” President.

And then there were recent news reports about the release of a few political prisoners, coupled with the alleged lowering of the sentence and transferring to a house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi after many years of her incommunicado detention.

These are obviously insincere and half-measures. The ASEAN leaders, and the rest of us should take notice of the fact that, all this time, the junta has even escalated its campaign of terror and atrocity against the people of Myanmar. Since the junta’s coup in 2021, March 2026 recorded the highest number of casualties of civilians and non- combatants numbering more than 500 lives in the wake of indiscriminate aerial strikes.

As the ASEAN Chair, the Philippines must demand full, immediate and serious measures from Ming Aung Hlaing and his junta. The ASEAN Leaders must be convinced to take bolder actions on the situation in Myanmar that:

• Refuses to provide avenues that may lend legitimacy to the junta, including those that result from the sham elections in December and January, as well as from the convening of the illegitimate parliament in March;
• Calls for the immediate and full cessation of all junta-led violence and atrocity campaigns, while ensuring the urgent and unconditional release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi;
• Demands unimpeded humanitarian access through Myanmar, ensuring the coordinated responses from Myanmar’s neighbors, the ASEAN, UN organs, and other governments, with Myanmar ethnic and civil society organizations;
• Supports stakeholder engagement with legitimate democratic actors and institutions in Myanmar for the inclusive and participatory negotiation for a new federal democratic constitution, in accordance with the true will and aspirations of the peoples in Myanmar; and
• Pushes more boldly for accountability efforts against Min Aung Hlaing and his junta for their atrocity crimes, and other serious human rights and humanitarian law violations, including those in the international fora and mechanisms, particularly the International Criminal Court (ICC), International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN Security Council (UNSC), and the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Apart from these, the ASEAN may confirm its support for domestic efforts at exacting accountability in the courts and prosecution offices in Argentina, the Philippines, Timor-Leste and Indonesia.

The unabated political crisis and human rights catastrophe in Myanmar have to end. The ASEAN, with the Philippines as Chair this year, must take decisive actions to find immediate yet durable, peaceful and people-led solutions in Myanmar.

Download the statement (English I Myanmar)