ASEAN Foreign Ministers Condemn Myanmar Junta Airstrikes on Civilian Areas

Emergency Session Calls for Immediate Halt to Aerial Bombardment

ASEAN foreign ministers issued their strongest collective statement on Myanmar to date on April 5, 2026, condemning the military junta's aerial bombardment of civilian areas in Sagaing and Magway regions. The emergency session, convened at Indonesia's request as ASEAN chair, demanded "an immediate cessation of airstrikes on populated areas" and threatened to suspend Myanmar's participation in ASEAN meetings if attacks continue.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who chaired the session, said the strikes on March 28-31 killed at least 180 civilians, including 45 children, according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. "These are not military operations. These are attacks on villages, markets, and monasteries," Retno said.

Escalation of Aerial Attacks

The junta has increased its reliance on airpower as ground forces lose territory to resistance forces. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners documented 847 airstrike incidents in 2025, up from 432 in 2024, with 70% targeting civilian infrastructure. The junta's air force — equipped with Russian-supplied Yak-130 attack jets and Chinese-made K-8 trainers — faces no opposition in the air, as resistance forces lack anti-aircraft capabilities.

Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, described the bombardment as "systematic and indiscriminate" and called for member states to enforce existing arms embargoes. He noted that Russia delivered 12 additional Yak-130 aircraft to the junta in 2025 despite international condemnation.

ASEAN's Evolving Position

The statement represents a significant hardening of ASEAN's stance, which has been criticized as ineffective since the 2021 coup. The Five-Point Consensus agreed in April 2021 — calling for dialogue and humanitarian access — has been largely ignored by the junta. Myanmar's military leader Min Aung Hlaing was already barred from attending ASEAN summits, replaced by non-political representatives.

Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia pushed for stronger language including references to accountability mechanisms. Cambodia and Laos, traditionally more sympathetic to Myanmar's military, accepted the compromise text that stops short of expulsion but introduces conditional participation — a mechanism not previously used in ASEAN's history.

Humanitarian Crisis

The UN estimated that 3.4 million people are internally displaced within Myanmar, the highest figure since the coup. The humanitarian response plan for 2026 requires $994 million but has received only 18% funding as of April. The World Food Programme warned that 12.9 million people face food insecurity, with the conflict disrupting agricultural production in the country's rice bowl regions of Sagaing and Magway.

The next ASEAN foreign ministers retreat is scheduled for May in Jakarta, where Myanmar's compliance with the airstrike cessation demand will be assessed.