APHR urges ASEAN to reject junta elections and support Myanmar’s democratic forces

Mizzima

On 3 November, the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) issued a statement after the 47th ASEAN Summit. At the Pathways to Democracy Conference in Kuala Lumpur, regional lawmakers and civil society leaders called for decisive action from ASEAN to restore democracy in Myanmar.

The text of the statement is as follows.

Days after ASEAN leaders concluded the 47th annual Summit, Southeast Asian lawmakers gathered in Kuala Lumpur with one message; restoration of democracy in Myanmar cannot wait. The Pathways to Democracy Conference brought together legislators, civil society leaders and allies determined to move beyond performative diplomacy and push ASEAN bloc towards concrete, principled action under the Philippines’ 2026 Chairship.

The conference came at a pivotal moment, directly following the 47th ASEAN Summit where the Myanmar crisis once again dominated discussions but failed in realizing tangible and urgent progress.

In fact, APHR member lawmakers called for ASEAN to adopt a bolder, people-centered approach to democracy and humanitarian response in Myanmar, grounded in regional solidarity and moral responsibility.

Mercy Chriesty Barends, APHR Chairperson and Member of the House of Representatives of Indonesia, delivered a powerful message of shared purpose, “we see you, we hear you, we stand by you [in] your struggle for democracy. We will not ever abandon you. Your fight is our fight, not because it is easy but because it is right.”

Wong Chen, APHR Board Member and Member of the Malaysian Parliament, emphasized that democracy extends beyond politics or diplomacy, “while governments and diplomats negotiate, we parliamentarians, civil society actors and citizens have a different but equally vital role to play,” he reminded.

“Democratization is also social, educational and cultural; it requires rebuilding trust, healing divisions and restoring the idea that governments exist to serve people, not power.”