‘Justice For Myanmar’ calls onthe ASEAN defence ministers’ meeting (ADMM)to immediately cancel the Myanmar junta and Russian forces led counter terrorism military exercisesproposed to be held in coming months.

ASEAN’s planned military exercises led by the junta and Russian regime will deepen its complicity in themilitary ruler’s international crimes,stated Justice For Myanmar.

The drills are being organisedby the ADMM-plus experts’ working group oncounter terrorism and co-chaired by the Myanmar military regime and Russian government. It will involve atabletop exercise in Myanmar duringAugust and a field training exercise in Russia during September.

The working group held its final planning conference for theexercises in June atKhabarovsk of Russia and it was attended by all ASEAN members and also dialogue partners namely China and India. TheUSA, Australia, Japan, South Koreaand New Zealand boycotted the meet.

The exercises will involve military training that coordinates a response to a simulated terroristattack and help the Myanmar junta buildthe capabilities of elite troops, engaging in a campaign of terror against the people.

Yadanar Maung, spokesperson of Justice For Myanmar said, “If the worldcommunity needs any more evidencethat the five-point consensus has failed, ASEAN’s training of junta troops in counter terrorism should be the nail inthe coffin.”

ASEAN’s practical assistance and support for the training ofMyanmar junta troops willmake the block further complicit in ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Since the military’s illegal coup on1 February 2021, the military junta murdered more than 3,600 people,arbitrarily arrested more than 23,000,conducted indiscriminate airstrikes & shelling, committed torture & sexual violence and alsodisplaced over 1.5 million people.

“Rather than helping to resolve the Myanmar crisis, ASEAN’sactions are worsening itand causing real harm,”asserted Yadanar Maung.

The fact these military exercises are planned is testament tothe shockingfailure of Indonesia as ASEAN chair to uphold basic principles of democracy and humanrights, he added.

ASEAN should immediately cancel the exercise, ban the junta from all meetings and recognise & supportthe National Unity Government as the legitimate government of Myanmar.

Since 2021, ADMM’s counter terrorism working group has been ledby major general Aung MyoThant, deputy chief of the Myanmar military’s armed forces training, and major general Grigorii Tiurin of the operational & strategic command ofRussia’s eastern military district. Their co-chairpersonship ends this year.

The working group has also been used by the junta for propagating their regional need of support againstthe legitimate NUG, People’s DefenceForces (PDF) and various ethnic revolutionary organisations.

For instance, a junta propaganda article on December 2021 ASEAN counter terrorismmeeting, hosted by the junta, reported on Aung Myo Thant’s speech highlighting the terroractivities of the NUG and PDF, electoral fraud which led to the state of emergency declared by Tatmadaw to maintain theState affairs, efforts of Tatmadaw in various ways to peacefully find a solution onvote-rigging, the NLD
government’s multiple rejections on the discussion and itsintent to form a newgovernment with controversial election outcomes.

ASEAN has not only failed to take action in support of humanrights and democracy inMyanmar but it is actively aiding the junta’s criminal conduct through military support including the planned
military exercise. This makes ASEAN complicit in the junta’s atrocity crimes.

ASEAN is also impeding effective international actions to resolve the Myanmar crisis by acting as aninstitutional barrier that supports the junta by providing cover for its members and dialogue partners to
enhance military cooperation and avoid taking action to protectthe human rights of Myanmarpeople and finally end the military’s impunity.

LastlyYadanar Maung stated, “If under Indonesia’s leadership, the exercises go ahead, governments ofSingapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippinesshould boycott the exercises and stand with the people of Myanmar.”