Organizations urge ASEAN to bar junta from hosting environmental meetings

By Admin 19 Jul 2026

DMG Newsroom

19 July 2026, Nay Pyi Taw

A coalition of 123 organizations has called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to bar the Myanmar junta from hosting upcoming regional environmental meetings.

The junta is preparing to host the 37th ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN) meeting and related sessions in Myanmar.

Myanmar civil society organizations are urging ASEAN to prevent the junta from hosting the meetings.

Scheduled for Aug. 4-7, the meetings include seven climate, biodiversity and environmental sessions. In an open letter addressed to the Philippines, the current chair of ASEAN and ASOEN, the organizations urged that the meetings be relocated to the Philippines or held online.

The letter, which was also sent to ASOEN member states and dialogue partners including the European Union, the United States, Japan and South Korea, called for the junta to be excluded from future ASOEN meetings and activities.

The appeal came days after ASEAN foreign ministers met the junta's foreign minister during an informal meeting hosted by Thailand on July 12. The signatories said they opposed any efforts to normalize relations with the junta through environmental cooperation.

"The Myanmar military junta is not the legitimate representative of the people of Myanmar. The regime has been plundering, destroying and exploiting our forests, mountains, rivers and natural resources solely to generate revenue to fund their international crimes. Under no circumstances should such individuals be allowed to host ASEAN environmental meetings," said Ko Mike of Defend Myanmar Democracy.

"Allowing them to host the ASOEN meeting is akin to rewarding the primary culprit behind Myanmar's environmental destruction. It gives the junta a platform to use environmental conservation as a smokescreen to conceal its atrocities and project an image of legitimacy," he added.

The organizations said the meetings are being organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC), which is controlled by the junta and oversees the management and trade of Myanmar's natural resources, including gems, pearls, minerals and timber.

According to the letter, five state-owned enterprises under MONREC have been sanctioned by Western governments for generating revenue for the junta.

Despite this, the United States and the European Union are reportedly planning to attend environmental and climate dialogues following the main ASOEN meeting.

The organizations also said that since the 2021 coup, more than 3.8 million people have been displaced and accused the junta of attempting to revive the controversial Myitsone Dam project despite widespread public opposition.

They further accused the junta of obstructing humanitarian assistance and diverting aid following natural disasters, including Cyclone Mocha.

The coalition urged ASEAN to reject any attempts by the junta to gain institutional legitimacy through regional environmental cooperation, saying the people of Myanmar, not the military regime, are the country's legitimate representatives. The organizations also reaffirmed their commitment to protecting both the people of Myanmar and the environment.