Five years after the Myanmar military seized power in the government, a fellow Southeast Asian nation, Timor Leste, opened an investigation into numerous allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity thrown at the regime.
Timor Leste, which was formally admitted as the 11th member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in October 2025.
Unlatched legal proceedings against the Myanmar junta, including its leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, following a case filed by a human rights group based in western Chin state, Myanmar, in January.
Press release and accusations
Chin Human Rights Organisation (CHRO) announced Timor Leste’s “unprecedented” move in a press release on February 2, saying the Timorese government has appointed a senior prosecutor who will look into the criminal file presented by the CHRO.
The organisation accuses the Myanmar junta of a litany of abuses, including rape, murder and the indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations in Chin.
“This is the first time a member of the Association of South East Asia Nations (ASEAN), has initiated such action against a fellow ASEAN member state,” reads the press release.
Welcoming the landmark gesture, CHRO Executive Director Salai Za Uk conveyed the organisation’s anticipation for Timor Leste’s pursuit of justice “for the Chin People and all people in Myanmar.”
AS Salai Za Uk was quoted in the statement, saying:
“Given Timor Leste’s history, and the indignities the Timorese people suffered in their struggle for independence, there is a real sense of solidarity with the people of Myanmar, against whom the junta is inflicting appalling barbarities on an almost hourly basis,”
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Junta expels Timorese top diplomat
There was no immediate reaction from the Myanmar junta regarding Timor Leste’s bold move until on February 15, when it announced the ejection of Timorese Chargé d’Affaires Elísio do Rosário de Sousa from the country.
In a Sunday statement, the military government said De Sousa was summoned to Nay Pyi Taw on February 13 and was instructed to leave Myanmar no later than February 20.
The regime has also expressed “great disappointment” with Dili allowing its domestic legal powers to probe CHRO’s case.
It has accused the Timorese government of violating ASEAN charter articles that “underscore the importance of upholding respect for sovereignty and non-interference.”
As of writing, the embassy of Timor Leste in Myanmar’s Yangon region has yet to comment on De Sousa’s expulsion.
This is the second time since the 2021 military coup in Myanmar that the military government has expelled Timor Leste’s top representative to the country, the first one being in August 2023.
The move followed meetings between President Jose Ramos-Horta and senior officials of the National Unity Government, a banned shadow administration founded in the aftermath of the coup.
Call for peaceful resolution
In a response statement at the time, Timor Leste condemned the junta’s expulsion of its diplomat and reiterated its solidarity with the Myanmar people.
It also urged the military regime “to respect human rights and seek a peaceful and constructive solution to the crisis.”
“The international community, including Timor-Leste, continues to call for a peaceful resolution to the crisis and respect for the fundamental rights of the Myanmar people,” the statement said.
Shameeka Voyiya 
Lucia Caporalini 
Kamille Q. Cabreza