<p>February 1 2025 marked the fourth anniversary of Myanmar’s military coup, an event that plunged the nation into chaos, widespread violence, and relentless human rights violations. Since General Min Aung Hlaing seized power from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy (NLD), the people of Myanmar have endured a brutal campaign of oppression. With over 6,000 civilians killed, more than 3.5 million displaced, and over 21,000 political prisoners detained, the junta’s reign has only deepened the crisis.</p>.<p>In a historic development, the Federal Criminal Court of Argentina issued arrest warrants for 25 Myanmar officials on February 13, 2025, charging them with genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity for the atrocities committed against the Rohingya between 2012 and 2018. This judgement resulted from the case filed by the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK in 2019. Despite such legal actions, the military junta rejects international jurisdiction, dismissing foreign intervention in its internal affairs.</p>.<p>Since 2021, the junta has engaged in relentless attacks against its own people, employing airstrikes, extrajudicial killings, and systematic torture. Political activists, journalists, and innocent civilians have been targeted in widespread crackdowns, at least 2,000 individuals killed in custody due to torture, medical neglect, and other inhumane conditions. Women in detention have faced sexual violence, as documented by the International Commission of Jurists.</p>.Thousands in limbo on Thai-Myanmar border after scam centre crackdown.<p>The junta’s violent suppression extends beyond urban centres to ethnic minority regions – villages have been bombed and entire communities displaced. Hundreds of political prisoners have succumbed to inhumane conditions in notorious prisons in the country, while reports of forced disappearances and summary executions continue to surface.</p>.<p>Despite mounting evidence of human rights abuses, the international community’s response has been disappointingly weak. Sanctions have failed to curb the military’s access to weapons and financial resources. Global institutions such as the United Nations and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are yet to implement decisive measures to restore democracy and hold the military accountable.</p>.<p>The ASEAN bloc, despite expressing concerns over Myanmar’s political crisis, has not taken concrete steps to isolate the junta. The recent ASEAN summit reiterated the call for free and fair elections but has not enforced any mechanisms to ensure compliance. Many powerful nations have maintained diplomatic and economic relationships with the regime, citing geopolitical and strategic interests.</p>.<p>The failure to take a firm stance against Myanmar’s military has only emboldened the junta. To break the cycle of impunity and restore democracy, the international community must act decisively by severing all diplomatic and economic engagements with the military regime and ceasing the recognition of junta-led initiatives. They must exclude junta representatives from ASEAN platforms and instead engage with the National Unity Government (NUG) and ethnic resistance groups. The UN should direct humanitarian aid through independent channels to reach the most vulnerable populations of Myanmar. They must coordinate international legal action to hold the military accountable for war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity and support a comprehensive, locally-led transition towards federal democracy and sustainable peace in Myanmar.</p>.<p><strong>India has stakes</strong></p>.<p>As Myanmar’s immediate neighbour and the world’s largest democracy, India is significant in influencing the course of Myanmar’s political future and has maintained economic and diplomatic contacts without condemning the junta. India shares a 1,643-kilometre-long land boundary with Myanmar and has invested over $1.75 billion in developmental assistance and joint infrastructure projects. Despite its democratic values, India has refrained from taking a strong stance against the military regime.</p>.<p>Given China’s growing influence in Myanmar, India must reassess its approach and support the democratic forces in Myanmar. By aligning with the international community in pressuring the junta, India can play a crucial role in ensuring regional stability and upholding human rights.</p>.<p>Myanmar’s people have shown extraordinary resilience in their fight for democracy but cannot continue this struggle alone. The international community must move beyond rhetoric and take concrete actions to end the suffering and restore democracy. The world cannot afford to remain passive while millions suffer under the junta’s rule.</p>.<p>The UN estimates that over 20 million people in Myanmar require urgent humanitarian aid. As the ASEAN summit debates Myanmar’s future, it is clear that any solution must involve genuine engagement with all stakeholders and the exclusion of the military junta from the political processes. The world must act now – before Myanmar’s democratic aspirations are silenced forever.</p>.<p>(Paul is an associate professor at St Joseph’s University, Bengaluru; Amaya is a refugee lawyer and professor of Migration and Human Rights at Comillas University, Madrid, Spain)</p>
<p>February 1 2025 marked the fourth anniversary of Myanmar’s military coup, an event that plunged the nation into chaos, widespread violence, and relentless human rights violations. Since General Min Aung Hlaing seized power from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy (NLD), the people of Myanmar have endured a brutal campaign of oppression. With over 6,000 civilians killed, more than 3.5 million displaced, and over 21,000 political prisoners detained, the junta’s reign has only deepened the crisis.</p>.<p>In a historic development, the Federal Criminal Court of Argentina issued arrest warrants for 25 Myanmar officials on February 13, 2025, charging them with genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity for the atrocities committed against the Rohingya between 2012 and 2018. This judgement resulted from the case filed by the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK in 2019. Despite such legal actions, the military junta rejects international jurisdiction, dismissing foreign intervention in its internal affairs.</p>.<p>Since 2021, the junta has engaged in relentless attacks against its own people, employing airstrikes, extrajudicial killings, and systematic torture. Political activists, journalists, and innocent civilians have been targeted in widespread crackdowns, at least 2,000 individuals killed in custody due to torture, medical neglect, and other inhumane conditions. Women in detention have faced sexual violence, as documented by the International Commission of Jurists.</p>.Thousands in limbo on Thai-Myanmar border after scam centre crackdown.<p>The junta’s violent suppression extends beyond urban centres to ethnic minority regions – villages have been bombed and entire communities displaced. Hundreds of political prisoners have succumbed to inhumane conditions in notorious prisons in the country, while reports of forced disappearances and summary executions continue to surface.</p>.<p>Despite mounting evidence of human rights abuses, the international community’s response has been disappointingly weak. Sanctions have failed to curb the military’s access to weapons and financial resources. Global institutions such as the United Nations and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are yet to implement decisive measures to restore democracy and hold the military accountable.</p>.<p>The ASEAN bloc, despite expressing concerns over Myanmar’s political crisis, has not taken concrete steps to isolate the junta. The recent ASEAN summit reiterated the call for free and fair elections but has not enforced any mechanisms to ensure compliance. Many powerful nations have maintained diplomatic and economic relationships with the regime, citing geopolitical and strategic interests.</p>.<p>The failure to take a firm stance against Myanmar’s military has only emboldened the junta. To break the cycle of impunity and restore democracy, the international community must act decisively by severing all diplomatic and economic engagements with the military regime and ceasing the recognition of junta-led initiatives. They must exclude junta representatives from ASEAN platforms and instead engage with the National Unity Government (NUG) and ethnic resistance groups. The UN should direct humanitarian aid through independent channels to reach the most vulnerable populations of Myanmar. They must coordinate international legal action to hold the military accountable for war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity and support a comprehensive, locally-led transition towards federal democracy and sustainable peace in Myanmar.</p>.<p><strong>India has stakes</strong></p>.<p>As Myanmar’s immediate neighbour and the world’s largest democracy, India is significant in influencing the course of Myanmar’s political future and has maintained economic and diplomatic contacts without condemning the junta. India shares a 1,643-kilometre-long land boundary with Myanmar and has invested over $1.75 billion in developmental assistance and joint infrastructure projects. Despite its democratic values, India has refrained from taking a strong stance against the military regime.</p>.<p>Given China’s growing influence in Myanmar, India must reassess its approach and support the democratic forces in Myanmar. By aligning with the international community in pressuring the junta, India can play a crucial role in ensuring regional stability and upholding human rights.</p>.<p>Myanmar’s people have shown extraordinary resilience in their fight for democracy but cannot continue this struggle alone. The international community must move beyond rhetoric and take concrete actions to end the suffering and restore democracy. The world cannot afford to remain passive while millions suffer under the junta’s rule.</p>.<p>The UN estimates that over 20 million people in Myanmar require urgent humanitarian aid. As the ASEAN summit debates Myanmar’s future, it is clear that any solution must involve genuine engagement with all stakeholders and the exclusion of the military junta from the political processes. The world must act now – before Myanmar’s democratic aspirations are silenced forever.</p>.<p>(Paul is an associate professor at St Joseph’s University, Bengaluru; Amaya is a refugee lawyer and professor of Migration and Human Rights at Comillas University, Madrid, Spain)</p>
