No Normalization of the Myanmar Military Junta Legitimacy Belongs to the People of Myanmar

As ASEAN Foreign Ministers convene to discuss the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, the People Movement Platform Myanmar firmly asserts that ASEAN and its member states must stand with the people of Myanmar and reject any attempt to normalize relations with the military junta. This position statement reflects the unified voice of the people on the ground, setting forth the immediate mandates the regional body must adopt.

1. The Military Junta is an Unreliable Partner and a Source of Regional Instability.

More than five years after the military coup, there is overwhelming evidence of widespread and systematic atrocities committed by the junta against the people of Myanmar. The regime has continued its campaign of violence and repression, conducted airstrikes and indiscriminate attacks against civilians, obstructed life-saving humanitarian assistance, and repeatedly violated its commitments under the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus.

As a result, more than 3.8 million people have been internally displaced, and hundreds of thousands have been forced to seek refuge across borders. The junta has also enabled and been complicit in the rapid expansion of scam centers, human trafficking, and transnational criminal networks, posing a direct and serious threat to regional peace and security. A military junta that continues atrocities, disregards regional commitments, and rejects accountability cannot be a credible or reliable partner for peace, dialogue, or regional stability.

2. No Delusion of Peace: Engaging the Junta Only Grants It False Legitimacy

ASEAN foreign ministers are convening for meetings that include the military junta’s unrecognized representative, an illegitimate entity to the people. As this marks a severe departure from the

precedent set since the April 2021 Five-Point Consensus, the regional community must harbor no delusions. The junta is entirely hostile to true peace and acts directly against the survival and safety of the people of Myanmar.

Dialogue with these war criminals will never lead to genuine peace or regional stability, nor will it sustainably dismantle the networks of scam centers and human trafficking. Sitting down with the perpetrators falsely grants political legitimacy to an illegal regime, directly undermines the credibility of the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus, and contradicts the region’s own commitments to a genuine, peaceful resolution of the crisis.

3. Recognize the People’s Choice: Engage Myanmar’s True Representatives

The people of Myanmar have overwhelmingly rejected the military coup and its sham elections, remaining determined to resist military dictatorship and pursue a federal democratic future despite years of atrocities, repression, and immense suffering.

Across the country, Ethnic Revolutionary Organizations (EROs), the National Unity Government (NUG), civil society organizations, and emerging civilian governance units are working together to serve communities and provide essential public services, humanitarian assistance, education, healthcare, and local governance. These actors represent the aspirations and trust of millions of people in Myanmar. They are building the foundations of an inclusive federal democratic future. This is the political reality on the ground that ASEAN and its member states must recognize and engage with.

4. Actions ASEAN and Its Member States Should Take:

• Reject Normalization: ASEAN and its member states should not attempt any political normalization or legitimization of the military junta, ensuring that temporary channels are not misconstrued as formal recognition.
• Uphold Commitments: ASEAN and its member states should uphold the core principles of the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus and ensure that all regional actions remain consistent with these commitments.
• Strengthen Democratic Dialogue: ASEAN and its member states should institutionalize and deepen dialogue with the legitimate representatives of Myanmar’s people, including the NUG and EROs, as the key stakeholders working toward a federal democratic future.
• Reroute Humanitarian Aid: ASEAN and its member states should deliver humanitarian assistance through trusted local, community-based, and cross-border mechanisms that reach people in need.

5. ASEAN’s Credibility Is at Stake

The people of Myanmar have never stopped resisting military dictatorship or building a democratic alternative. Despite immense suffering, they continue to demonstrate courage, resilience, and solidarity.

Without any ambiguity, ASEAN and its member states should stand with the people of Myanmar, reject normalization of the military junta, engage with Myanmar’s true representatives, and take decisive action consistent with their own commitments.

Sustainable peace and regional stability cannot be achieved by accommodating a military junta that has repeatedly demonstrated brutality and unreliability. They can only be achieved by supporting those who represent the aspirations of Myanmar’s people.

Legitimacy belongs to the people of Myanmar.

People Movement Platform Myanmar

Contact: peoplemovementplatform@gmail.com

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