Joint Open Letter: Asian Civil Society community calls on Timor Leste Government to Disinvite Myanmar Junta representatives to International Conference on Statebuilding

His Excellency

Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta

President

Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

7 April 2023

Dear Mr. President:

The undersigned 413 Myanmar, Timorese, regional and international civil society organizations strongly urge Your Excellency, along with the National Commission for Elections (CNE) President Dr. Jose Agostinho da Costa Belo Pereira, and the Network of Jurisdictional and Electoral Administration Bodies of Portuguese Speaking Countries (ROJAE-CPLP), to retract inviting the representatives of the so-called “Myanmar Election Agency” appointed by the illegal junta to your International Workshop on “Strengthening Democracy, Peace and Stability in State Building”, set to be held on May 19, 2023 in Dili.

These members of the Myanmar Election Agency, representing the brutal junta, have no credibility to talk about the subject of strengthening democracy, peace, and stability in state-building. After its attempted coup in February 2021, without a constitutional basis, the military junta invalidated the results of the democratically held November 2020 General Elections where the National League of Democracy (NLD) won in a massive landslide — a move that disregards the people’s will and runs contrary to the central tenets of democracy. Even then, after more than two years of the coup, the illegal junta controls only 17% of the country’s territory while the majority is controlled under the governance of the legitimate National Unity Government and Ethnic Revolutionary Organizations.

Since then, the illegitimate junta and their administrations have conducted nationwide attacks on civilians, eradicating the foundations of free media, civil society, the political party system, and academic freedom. As of March 2023, the junta and their enablers have killed over 3,000 people, arrested over 21,000 people. At least 1.4 million people have been internally displaced by the military’s violence, and at least 52,200 people forced to leave Myanmar, according to the UN Office of the High Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. We know that you are aware of this grave situation having bravely voiced your own protest against the coup during its early days.

As you wrote in your article published by the Newsweek on December 16, 2021, “the international community has the means to stand up to Myanmar’s military junta. Governments and international bodies should refuse to recognize the Tatmadaw regime or their representatives. They should expel representatives sent by the illegitimate military junta. They should continue to recognize and support diplomats appointed by Myanmar’s democratically elected government, including at the United Nations, thereby ensuring that the legitimate voices of democracy continue to be heard.”

Their actions and the scale of suffering they have created clearly demonstrate strong and consistent disdain to the values of democracy, peace, and stability in nation-building which the international workshop you will host aims to promote and achieve. Given this track record, they will not care about any platitudes on democracy and will return to Myanmar and continue their murderous ways. They even ignored the Five Point Consensus brokered by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the Cambodian Government’s Presidency. Thus, having representatives of the illegitimate junta will not only taint the goodwill which you aim to foster, it will also disregard the suffering of the peoples of Myanmar who are continuously working to resist the military towards the establishment of a federal democracy in their country. But more so, it could stigmatize Timor-Leste whose own robust and shining democracy has been a blazing light in this otherwise blighted region of tyrants and chameleons.

Aside from retracting the invitation for these Myanmar Election Agency representatives, we also respectfully call on the organizers of the International Workshop to instead extend an invitation to the representatives of the National Unity Government (NUG), who have been continuously working to establish federal democracy in Myanmar. As you very well know, the NUG has been active in rallying and engaging the international community to go against repressive actions by the junta. We urge your support, as an esteemed member of the international community and a champion of human rights and democracy, to support efforts to ensure accountability for the victims of the illegal junta and facilitate further humanitarian support for the peoples of Myanmar, especially its most vulnerable pro-democracy sectors.

We sincerely hope you heed our urgent plea.

For more information, please contact:

• Khin Ohmar, Chairperson, Progressive Voice, info@progressive-voice.org
• Ichal Supriadi, Secretary-General, Asia Democracy Network, ichal@adnasia.org

Signed by 413 organizations including 222 organizations who have chosen to not disclose their names:

1. 5/ of Zaya State Strike 
2. Action Against Myanmar Military Coup (AAMMC)
3. Action Committee for Democracy Development (Coalition of 14 grassroots networks)
4. Action Committee of Basic Education Students (ACBES)
5. Active Youths Kalaymyo
6. Ah Nah Podcast – conversations with Myanmar
7. All Aung Myay Thar San Schools Strike Force
8. All Burma Student Democratic Front (ABSDF) – Australia Branch
9. All Young Burmese League (AYBL)
10. Alliance of Students’ Union – Yangon (ASU-Yangon)
11. ALTSEAN-Burma
12. Anti Dictatorship in Burma DC Metropolitan Area
13. Anti-coup Forces Coordination Committee (ACFCC -Mandalay)
14. Anti-Junta Alliance Yangon-AJAY
15. ASEAN Sogie Caucus
16. Asia Democracy Network (ADN)
17. Asia Justice and Rights – Timor-Leste (AJAR-Timor Leste)
18. Asia Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC)
19. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
20. Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL)
21. Assistance Association for Political Prisoners
22. Association of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters
23. Association Suisse-Birmanie (ASB)
24. Athan – Freedom of Expression Activist Organization
25. Australian Karen Organisation (AKO)
26. A-Yar-Taw People Strike
27. Ayeyarwaddy West Development Organization (AWDO, Magway Region)
28. AYN Ayeyarwady Youth Network
29. Blood Money Campaign Myanmar
30. Boston Free Burma
31. Burma Action Ireland
32. Burma Campaign UK
33. Burma Canadian Network
34. Burma Lawyer Council (BLC)
35. Burma Support
36. Burmese Americans Democracy Alliance
37. Burmese Canadian Network
38. Burmese Chin Community of Atlanta
39. Burmese Community Development Collaboration (BCDC)
40. Burmese Community Support Group (BCSG)
41. Burmese Medical Association Australia (BMAA)
42. Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
43. Burmese Women’s Union 
44. CDM Medical Network (CDMMN)
45. CDM Support Group (Mae Sot)
46. Center for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), Sri Lanka
47. Chaung Oo Township Youth Strike Committee 
48. Chin Human Rights Organization
49. Citizen Congress Watch (CCW), Taiwan
50. Civil Information Network (CIN)
51. Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH), Malaysia
52. Coalition Strike Committee – Dawei
53. Committee for Free and Fair Election (COMFREL), Cambodia
54. CRPH & NUG Supporters Ireland
55. CRPH Funding Ireland
56. CRPH Support Group, Norway
57. CRPH, NUG Support Team Germany – Deutschland
58. Dawei Youths Revolutionary Movement Strike Committee
59. Democracy for Ethnic Minorities Organization
60. Democracy, Peace and Women’s Organization
61. Depayin Township Revolution Steering Committee
62. Educational Initiatives Prague
63. Equality Myanmar
64. Ethnic Youth General Strike Committee (Mandalay)
65. Federal FM – Mandalay 
66. Former ABSDF International
67. Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA)
68. Free Burma Action Committee – Central Valley
69. Free Burma Action Committee – Chico
70. Free Burma Action Committee – Northern California
71. Free Burma Action Committee – Sacremento
72. Free Burma Action Committee – San Francisco
73. Freedom and Labor Action Group (FLAG)
74. Future Light Center
75. Future Thanlwin
76. General Strike Collaboration Committee (GSCC)
77. General Strike Committee of Basic and Higher Education (GSCBHE)
    1. Basic Education Worker Unions – Steering Committee (BEWU-SC)
    1. Representative Committee of University Teacher Associations (RC of UTAs)
    1. Basic Education General Strike Committee (BEGSC)
78. Generation Wave
79. German Solidarity with Myanmar Democracy eV
80. Gimpo Myanmar Friends Korea
81. Global Myanmar Spring Revolution
82. Global Myanmar Spring Revolution (Japan)
83. Global Myanmar Spring Revolution (Korea)
84. Grass-root People
85. Help Myanmar 
86. Helping Hands for Burma (H2B)
87. Human Rights Educators Network
88. Industrial Training Centre (ITC) Family Sydney
89. Info Birmanie
90. Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID)
91. International Association, Myanmar – Switzerland (IAMS)
92. Justice For Myanmar
93. Kachin Association Australia (KAA)
94. Kachin Student Union
95. Kachin Women’s Association Thailand
96. Kalay Township Strike Force 
97. Karen Association of Ireland
98. Karen community (The Netherland)
99. Karen Peace Support Network
100. Keng Tung Youth
101. Komite Independen Pemantau Pemilu (KIPP), Indonesia
102. Kyain Seikgyi Spring Revolution Leading Committee
103. Kyaukse University Students’ Union
104. La Communauté BIRMANE de France
105. Latpadaung Region Strike Committee
106. Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE), Philippines
107. Let’s Help Each Other 
108. LGBT Alliance

             a.    LGBT Union – Mandalay

             b.    Monywa LGBT Strike

             c.    LGBT Community Yangon

             d.    LGBT Alliance Myanmar (Kalay Region)

             e.    LGBT Alliance Myanmar (Kyaukse Region)

1. Magway People’s Revolution Committee
2. Mandalay Medical Family (MFM)
3. Mandalay Regional Youth Association (MRYA)
4. Mandalay Strike Force (MSF)
   1. Samgha Sammaga-Mandalay
   1. Mandalay Alliance Coalition Strike
   1. Mya Taung Strike
   1. Mandalar University Students’ Strike
   1. Chanmyatharzi Township People’s Strike
   1. Maharaungmyay Township People’s Strike
   1. Mandalay Youth Strike
   1. No.12 Basic Education Branch High School ( Maharaungmyay) Students’ Union
   1. Co-operative University Mandalay Students’ Strike
   1. Mandalay-based People’s Strike
   1. Multi-Religions Strike
   1. Myanmar Institute of Information Technology Students’ Strike
   1. Daung Sitthe Strike
   1. Seinpann Strike
5. Mandalay-Based University Students’ Unions (MDY_SUs)
6. Matu Chin Community – NSW/UPU Chin Association
7. MayMyo Strike Force
8.  Metta Campaign Mandalay
9. Minbu Farmer Group
10. Mindat Chin Community NSW
11. Minhla Development Organization
12. Mon National Council (MNC)
13. Monywa People’s Strike Steering Committee
14. All Burma Federation of Student Unions (Monywa District)
15. Network of University Student Unions – Monywa
16. National League for Democracy (Monywa Township)
17. The 88 Generation Peace and Open Society (Monywa)
18. Thakhin Kodaw Mhine Peace Network (Monywa)
19. Former Political Prisoners and New Generation Group – Monywa
20. Civil Society Organizations Coordination Committee (Monywa)
21. Monywa-Amyint Road Strike Leading Committee
22. Myanmar Action Group Denmark 
23. Myanmar Campaign Network
24. Myanmar Community Austria
25. Myanmar Community Coffs Harbour (MCC)
26. Myanmar Cultural Research Society
27. Myanmar Democratic Force in Denmark 
28. Myanmar Labor Alliance (MLA)
29. Myanmar People Alliance (Shan State)
30. Myanmar Professionals Association Australia (MPAA)
31. Myaung Youth Network
32. Myingyan Civillian Movement Committee
33. Naphe Development Organization
34. National Election Observation Committee (NEOC), Nepal
35. Netherlands Myanmar Solidarity Platform
36. Network for Human Rights Documentation Burma
37. New Myanmar Foundation (NMF)
38. NLD Solidarity Association (NSW chapter)
39. NSW Karenni (Kayah) Communities
40. Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica
41. ODHIKAR, Bangladesh
42. Olive Organization
43. One Dollar for People of Burma
44. Open Forum for Democracy Foundation (P-NET), Thailand
45. Padauk
46. Pale Township People’s Strike Steering Committee
47. People Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), Sri Lanka
48. People Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD), South Korea
49. People’s Voter Education Network (JPPR), Indonesia
50. Perkumpulan untuk Pemilu dan Demokrasi (PERLUDEM), Indonesia
51. Progressive Voice
52. Pwintphyu Development Organization (Magway Region)
53. Pyi Gyi Tagon Strike Force
54. Save and Care Organization for Ethnic Women at Border Areas 
55. Save Myanmar San Francisco
56. Save Myanmar USA
57. SEA Junction
58. Shan MATA
59. Shwe Pan Kone People`s Strike Steering Committee
60. Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFENet)
61. Southern Dragon Myanmar
62. Southern Youth Development Organization
63. Suomi-Myanmar Association
64. Support Group for Democracy in Myanmar (The Netherland)
65. Sydney Friends For Myanmar
66. Synergy – Social Harmony Organization
67. Ta’ang Women’s Organization 
68. Tanintharyi MATA
69. The Ladies
70. Transparent Elections Foundation of Afghanistan (TEFA)
71. Twitter Team for Revolution (TTFR)
72. U.S. Campaign for Burma
73. University Students’ Unions Alumni Force
74. We Pledge CDM (Australia)
75. Wetlet Revolution Leading Committee
76. White Coat Society Yangon (WCSY)
77. Women Activists Myanmar
78. Women Alliance Burma (WAB)
79. Mandalay Women Strike
80. Yangon Women Strike
81. Monywa Women Strike
82. Monywa-Amyint Road Women Strike
83. Chindwin (West) Villages Women Strike
84. Kalay Women Strike
85. Depayin Women Strike
86. Taze Women Strike
87. Dawei (Ashaetaw) Women Strike
88. Gangaw Women Strike
89. hayat Chaung Women Strike
90. Wetlet Township Women Strike
91. Women Caucus for Politics, Timor-Leste
92. Women’s League of Burma
93. Yadanabon University Students’ Union (YDNBUSU)
94. Yinmarpin and Salingyi All Villages Strike Committee
95. Zomi Association Australia Inc.
96. ဒို့မြေကွန်ရက် – LIOH
97. နဂါးဖြူ (ထိုင်းနယ်စပ်)
98. နွေဉီးမီးငှက် (ထိုင်းမြန်မာ နယ်စပ်)
99. နွေဉီးအင်အား မိုးညိုမြို့နယ်
100. ပွင့်ဖြူလယ်ယာမြေကွန်ရက်
101. ဖင်လန်မြန်မာအသင်း (Finland Myanmar Society Ry)
102. ဧရာဗေဒါ (ပြည်တွင်း)