‘Resist business as usual’: Human rights veteran calls for radical shift in ASEAN policy on Myanmar

Human rights advocate and long-time regional campaigner Gani Abunda is issuing an urgent call to Southeast Asian leaders to abandon “dribbling” diplomatic tactics and confront the military regime in Myanmar directly.

Abunda, the Program Coordinator for the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) and co-chair of the upcoming ASEAN People’s Forum (APF), warned that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) reliance on its Five-Point Consensus peace plan has failed to protect civilians or halt military atrocities in Myanmar.

Speaking to DVB in an exclusive interview in Manila, Abunda outlined plans for radical civil society mobilization across the Philippines and Southeast Asia ahead of the official ASEAN Summit in Manila, urging regional governments to recognize the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) rather than the military regime, led by Min Aung Hlaing, which seized power during the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021.