The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) decided not to participate in the civil society interface during the EU-ASEAN Policy Dialogue on Human Rights in Brussels on 3 October.

The federation said that the decision was to reiterate their policy of non-engagement with Myanmar’s military junta and in solidarity with the people of Myanmar.

In a joint statement, the FIDH and other NGOs including FORUM-Asia, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Front Line Defenders (FLD) and Protection International (PI), expressed their dismay over the invitation of Myanmar junta representatives to the dialogue.

They said the decision ran counter to the approach the EU and ASEAN had taken in reaction to the Myanmar military coup in February 2021, which overturned the November 2020 general elections.

They rejected in the strongest possible terms any effort that may be perceived as legitimizing the junta which launched a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy activists and ethnic minorities, as well as on civil society groups, human rights defenders, trade unions, journalists, and political opponents.

The statement also emphasized that the last-minute decision to invite junta representatives to the human rights dialogue is not only shameful but also incomprehensible, as it seems to undermine efforts by the EU and ASEAN to reverse the worsening human rights situation in Myanmar.

The FIDH is an international human rights NGO, comprised of 188 organisations from 116 countries, and has been defending all civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights since 1922.