Can Malaysia lead ASEAN in accountability for Myanmar’s Muslim minorities? – The diplomat

As Malaysia takes over the 2025 chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim faces a critical choice. For years, Myanmar’s Muslim minorities have suffered relentless persecution under a brutal military regime. Malaysia has long been one of ASEAN’s most vocal members on the issue, particularly during the Rohingya genocide in 2017, when it condemned the actions of Myanmar’s military and called for stronger international responses. As a Muslim from Myanmar, I know all too well the pain this junta is causing people of my faith. Malaysia now has the chance to stand up for the rights of Muslim communities in Myanmar, moving ASEAN towards an approach based on accountability and justice for all.

This crisis goes beyond Myanmar’s borders; affects the entire region. Since the 2021 coup, the junta has launched a brutal campaign targeting ethnic and religious minorities, displacing more than 3.3 million people and leaving more than 5,000 civilians dead. More than half the population now lives below the poverty line, a consequence of the junta’s widespread violence and mismanagement of the economy.

However, ASEAN’s continued reliance on the Five Point Consensus has failed to deliver results. The consensus, agreed in April 2021, was intended to address the crisis by calling for an end to violence, inclusive dialogue and humanitarian assistance, but has been largely ignored by the junta. The Myanmar people denounced it and the junta actively undermined it.

At the 44th and 45th ASEAN summits held in Vientiane earlier this month, Myanmar civil society organizations one more time called on ASEAN to abandon this death-on-arrival approach and support the people of Myanmar in their efforts to build a federal democracy. As my organization, the Burma Human Rights Network, pointed out in October 2022, the Five Point Consensus not only failed to curb the violence. Instead, it encouraged the junta to step up its atrocities against the Myanmar people. ASEAN’s inaction and its decision to continue to rely on the Five Point Consensus further encouraged it.

ASEAN has repeatedly failed to protect Muslim minorities or take a decisive stand against the junta. The fractured approach also allowed it to consolidate its power and continue its war against Myanmar’s diverse communities. Malaysia now has the opportunity to lead ASEAN in breaking this cycle by taking a principled stand that rejects the legitimacy of the junta and supports the rights of Muslim minorities. Given Malaysia’s past leadership on the Rohingya issue, it is in a strong position to woo other ASEAN members towards a more assertive approach.

First, ASEAN must end any engagement with the military regime. Economic ties benefiting the junta, such as the flow of aviation fuel that enables airstrikes on civilian areas, must be severed. The junta should no longer be welcome at ASEAN meetings; its representatives should be completely barred from all ASEAN platforms. Malaysia should support the official recognition of the National Unity Government (NUG) and state-level government structures that truly represent the people of Myanmar. ASEAN’s continued normalization of junta engagement contradicts its own commitments and undermines legitimate democratic forces of Myanmar, including NUG. Malaysia must seize this moment to make a decisive break with this failed approach.

Second, ASEAN’s approach to humanitarian aid also needs a complete overhaul. Malaysia can lead the charge by ensuring that aid reaches those who need it most through ethnic and local networks of trust, rather than through a regime that has weaponized aid to oppress vulnerable populations. ASEAN needs to ensure that these local networks are equipped and empowered to deliver aid effectively, which will require Malaysia to help establish and strengthen partnerships with ethnic organizations and GNU.

Civil society groups in Myanmar have called on ASEAN to end the involvement of the AHA Center, which currently facilitates the distribution of humanitarian aid through junta channels. Instead, ASEAN must work directly with revolutionary groups and civil society organizations to ensure aid reaches communities in need. Working with GNU and ethnic humanitarian groups will ensure that aid flows through channels free from junta control, empowering communities that have long been marginalized.

Some might argue that isolating the junta will not bring about change. But the appeasement has only encouraged a regime that shows no respect for human rights. Continued employment only prolongs the suffering of the Myanmar people. Cutting ties will not solve all problems, but it will send a clear message that ASEAN stands for justice and accountability.

Finally, instead of legitimizing the military junta, ASEAN and Malaysian governments should push for accountability for the junta’s crimes. This could include continued support for the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, the International Criminal Court and ongoing universal jurisdiction cases. These efforts could bring the military’s crimes to light, providing a path to justice for those affected.

As Malaysia takes over the chairmanship of ASEAN, it faces a critical choice: continue down a path of ineffective diplomacy or take bold action for justice and human rights. Myanmar civil society has made it clear that ASEAN’s current approach is actively harming the people of Myanmar by giving legitimacy to the junta. Myanmar’s Muslim minorities and all oppressed communities need ASEAN to stand up and take a stand. Malaysia has the opportunity to be a catalyst for real change, ensuring ASEAN is on the right side of history.