Joint Statement: APHR and European Parliament Members Call for Stronger EU Action to Reject Myanmar Junta’s Elections and Prioritize Humanitarian Protection

Brussels, 17 October 2025 — Today, members of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) joined by lawmakers from the European Parliament, come together to spotlight the escalating, cross-border humanitarian crisis affecting Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar and internally-displaced people in Myanmar.

Experiencing relentless violence, mass displacement, collapsing services and shrinking humanitarian access, the situation demands immediate international action. With nearly 22 million people in need of assistance and more than 3 million internally displaced, enduring relentless airstrikes, violence and the destruction of their schools, hospitals and homes while thousands are stranded along the Thai-Myanmar border with critically under-funded humanitarian support. Meanwhile, Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar face dwindling aid, foot shortages and stalled repatriation efforts. We echo APHR’s initial findings during a recent visit to Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, that the dire needs in the camps require urgent, collective, ASEAN and international action.

The Myanmar military junta’s recent steps, including reshaping state institutions, imposing martial law across 63 townships, suspending legal protections under Articles 5, 7 and 8 of the Privacy and Security Protection Law and moving ahead with a fraudulent December election, have intensified the suffering of civilians and made basic survival ever more precarious. These measures do not create the conditions for credible governance or for safe, voluntary returns of refugees and displaced people. ASEAN’s guidance that ‘an election is not a priority’ until violence stops must be honored; no international actor should legitimize any poll conducted under continued military rule.

Aligned with APHR’s stance, we urge the European Union to strengthen its support for democracy and human rights in Myanmar. In particular, the EU should step up sanctions and diplomatic pressure on the junta’s leadership. APHR has emphasized many times that ASEAN and its partners must pursue ‘diplomatic isolation of the junta [and] targeted sanctions’ as part of a decisive response.

The EU’s existing arms embargo on Myanmar must be rigorously enforced and broadened; we join APHR in calling for a comprehensive arms embargo and ban on aviation fuel to incapacitate the junta’s airstrikes.

At the same time, recognize and support the courageous efforts of Myanmar’s democracy forces and the ‘federalism-from-below’ initiatives. Community and ethnic-led governance bodies implementing inclusive health services, education and advancing the Articles for Federal Transitional Arrangement (AFTA) as a roadmap towards a federal democratic union. These initiatives deserve sustained international support and recognition.

In light of these developments, we call on the European Union, its member states and international partners to center humanitarian protection and life-saving support at the core of its international solidarity agenda. We urge them to:

1. refuse to recognize a junta-sponsored poll or government. Instead, all parties must insist on an immediate ceasefire and the release of political prisoners before any credible transition can begin;
2. support federalism from bottom-up by enhancing political recognition and support for Myanmar’s legitimate democratic actors, including the National Unity Government (NUG), ethnic revolutionary organizations (EROs) and civil society as key partners in shaping a federal, democratic future;
3. scale up humanitarian funding for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, internally displaced peoples in Myanmar and refugee in Thai-Myanmar border;
4. strengthen target sanctions and maintain diplomatic pressure on the junta, including a comprehensive arms embargo to end atrocities and human rights violations, and ban on jet fuel to halt airstrikes; and,
5. bolster EU-ASEAN cooperation to ensure a unified, principled stance that prioritizes human rights and justice in Myanmar.

Finally, this joint statement represents APHR’s continued commitment for democracy and human rights in Southeast Asia and aims to champion closer EU-ASEAN cooperation on issues that impact the people of Myanmar, Rohingya and other populations in the margins.

As APHR has stressed, ‘[there is] no future in being indifferent’ to the junta’s campaign of terror. The EU institutions and parliament alongside Southeast Asian lawmakers must act now to uphold peace, human rights and democratic aspirations in Myanmar.

QUOTES FROM PARLIAMENTARIANS

Wouter Beke MEP, Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN):

“Once again, we strongly condemn the ongoing violence in Myanmar, sham planned elections and human rights abuses. We call for the full implementation of the Five-Point Consensus peace plan, intensified sanctions, increased support for the democratic resistance, and urgent humanitarian aid. We demand accountability and stand firmly with the people of Myanmar in their fight for democracy and peace.”

Mercy Chriesty Barends, APHR Chairperson and Member of the House of Representatives of Indonesia:

“We stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar, the Rohingya refugees and reaffirm our shared commitment to a democratic future rooted in justice. This APHR mission to Brussels underscores the network’s urgent plea — humanitarian concerns must drive policy.”

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NOTE TO EDITOR: This joint statement is published as part of APHR’s international advocacy mission to the European Parliament and European Commission from 14th to 18th October 2025, bringing together current and former lawmakers from across Southeast Asia to engage EU institutions, international media and Myanmar diaspora communities.