The government of Timor-Leste condemned the action of the Myanmar military regime which has ordered Timor-Leste’s top diplomat to leave the country by 1 September.

La’o Hamutuk welcomed the condemnation saying it “shows the world our continuing consistency to hold high the principles and human values which have not yet enabled the people of Myanmar to emerge from their long suffering.”

“As a civil society organisation which monitors issues of human rights and democracy, La’o Hamutuk greatly appreciates the request of Timor-Leste’s Government that ASEAN leaders confront the problem of human rights violations in Myanmar,” La’o Hamutuk said in the letter.

Timor-Leste’s politicians have been outspoken critics of Myanmar’s military government and President Jose Ramos Horta has met with top representative from Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG), which opposes military rule, according to a Reuters news report.

“Our Government’s commitment to hold high the principles of democratic rule of law, including strengthening international solidarity, is clear in Article 10 of our Constitution, which says The Democratic Republic of East Timor shall extend its solidarity to the struggle of the peoples for national liberation,” they added.

“We continue to ask the military dictatorship in Myanmar to stop inflicting suffering and torture on its people. Dictatorships always use power and force and never show good will; therefore to end the suffering, one must bravely change from this path to a more democratic one.

La’o Hamutuk said the people of Myanmar have “greatly suffered” under the dictatorship since 2021, “enduring military action which has killed many people and forced others to flee the country in order to survive.”

“The regime has taken all power, cancelling the results of a democratic election and creating humanitarian, economic and political crises.

Despite worldwide concern about Myanmar, La’o Hamutuk said “until now there has not been effective international action to prevent the military dictatorship from continuing to inflict them.”

The group concluded its letter calling on leaders “of all ASEAN nations not to close their eyes and ignore the immense suffering of the people of Myanmar because of commercial or political interests.”