19 June 2026

His Excellency Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Chair, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2026
President of the Republic of the Philippines

And Their Excellencies,
The Heads of Government of ASEAN Member States

Your Excellencies,

We convey our deepest respect and appreciation for your leadership as ASEAN Chair and for ASEAN’s continued efforts to advance regional peace, democracy, and sustainable resolution to the crisis in Myanmar.

On the occasion of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s 81st birthday on 19 June 2026, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), together with parliamentarians from Australia, the European Union, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and the United Kingdom, write to you in your capacity as Chair and leaders of ASEAN to formally call for the unconditional and immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners held by Myanmar’s military junta.

This open letter reflects growing international concern and longstanding calls for an inclusive political resolution to the crisis in Myanmar, consistent with ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus and the broader international commitment to democracy, human rights, and accountability.

Across regions, governments and international actors have increasingly converged around a common set of demands: the unconditional release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners; independent access to verify her condition and welling; an end to violence against civilians; unhindered humanitarian access; and meaningful political dialogue involving all relevant stakeholders. These are not new demands—they mirror the commitments already undertaken by the Myanmar military under ASEAN’s own Five-Point Consensus.

Since the military coup of 1 February 2021, the junta led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has arrested more than 31,141 individuals on political grounds. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), more than 22,000 remain in detention and reports continue to document mistreatment, abuse, torture, and denial of medical care. More than 7,800 people, including pro-democracy activists and civilians, have been killed. These are verified and documented figures; the actual numbers are likely higher.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has remained in detention since the day of the coup. Following reports of her transfer from prison to house arrest at an undisclosed location in Nayphydaw in April 2026, serious concerns remain regarding her condition, and the lack of independent verification. Her family and legal counsel continue severe restrictions on access, and the international community remains without credible confirmation of her current conditions. In the absence of independent verification and meaningful access, proof of life is urgently needed.

We therefore call on ASEAN, as a regional body bound by its Charter to uphold the principles of democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, to take the following concrete steps:

- Formally demand the unconditional and immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners detained by Myanmar’s military authorities;
- Require, as a condition of any further engagement with the junta, that it present Daw Aung San Suu Kyi publicly and grant immediate, unhindered access for her family, legal counsel, and an independent medical team to verify her wellbeing and whereabouts;
- Ensure that any engagement with the military authorities is inclusive and conditions-based in fulfilment of ASEAN’s own commitments under the Five-Point Consensus. Engagement must include all relevant stakeholders, and must not proceed without measurable progress on the release of political prisoners, the cessation of violence, unhindered humanitarian access and meaningful political dialogue aimed at achieving a sustainable resolution to the crisis.

Your Excellencies,

ASEAN has an opportunity to show that regional solidarity means something—that the people of Southeast Asia can count on this institution in their darkest hours. We urge you to seize it.

We thank you for your attention and stand ready to engage further in support of ASEAN’s pursuit of a principled, inclusive, and sustainable resolution to the crisis in Myanmar.

Sincerely,
Current and former parliamentarians from Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, and Timor Leste