The international community is sounding the alarm over Thailand’s potential invitation to Myanmar’s military leader, Min Aung Hlaing, to attend the upcoming BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok. More than 300 human rights and political organizations across ASEAN are urging the Thai government to reject Min Aung Hlaing’s attendance, citing his regime’s lack of legitimacy and egregious human rights abuses.
The call to action comes as the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) issued a statement on April 3, 2023, condemning the Myanmar military’s atrocities and emphasizing that recognizing the regime’s legitimacy would be tantamount to endorsing dictatorship and war crimes. The APHR is joined by over 319 other organizations, including the Defend Myanmar Democracy network, in pressuring the Thai government and BIMSTEC leaders to bar Min Aung Hlaing from the summit and boycott all Myanmar military representatives from BIMSTEC activities.
The human rights groups point to the Myanmar military’s appalling track record since the February 2021 coup, which includes mass killings, aerial attacks on civilians, and the detention of over 28,900 people. The military has bombed villages over 4,631 times, resulting in the deaths of more than 2,600 civilians and displacing over 3 million people. The international community widely views these actions as terroristic.
Even in the face of a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, 2023, the military has continued its assault on rebel-held areas, dropping bombs on the town of Naung Cho in northern Shan State just hours after the quake. This relentless pursuit of military objectives, despite the humanitarian crisis unfolding on the ground, has sparked outrage and condemnation from human rights advocates.
As the BIMSTEC summit approaches, the eyes of the international community are on Thailand, with many waiting to see whether the government will heed the calls to exclude Min Aung Hlaing and take a stand against the Myanmar military’s brutal regime. Will Thailand choose to prioritize human rights and democracy, or will it extend a welcome mat to a leader accused of war crimes? The world is watching.