NUCC urges ASEAN to move from words to action after Mrauk-U hospital attack

Mizzima

The National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) has welcomed Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s 13 December 2025 Chair’s Statement condemning the airstrike on Mrauk-U Hospital in Rakhine State but stressed that statements alone are not enough.

In this statement, NUCC called on ASEAN to take clear, concrete, and timely action to stop airstrikes, protect civilians, ensure humanitarian access, and hold the Myanmar military accountable for serious violations of international humanitarian law.

The NUCC statement continues below.

At the same time, the gravity, scale, and persistence of violence in Myanmar demand that expressions of concern be accompanied by timely, concrete, and measurable actions. Repeated appeals and condemnation, without effective enforcement or accountability, have regrettably failed to prevent further atrocities or protect civilian lives.

The airstrike on Mrauk-U Hospital constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law. The deliberate targeting of a protected medical facility and civilians meets the threshold of a war crime under applicable international legal standards. Explicit recognition of this violation, accompanied by concrete action to prevent the military junta’s continued attacks against civilians, is essential to deter future violations and to uphold the credibility and integrity of international norms.