Myanmar Expels East Timor’s Diplomat Amid Rights Complaint Dispute

Myanmar has ordered the head of East Timor's diplomatic mission to leave the country within seven days, state media reported on Monday. The move comes amid a dispute over a criminal complaint filed by a rights group against Myanmar’s military.

Since the 2021 coup that ousted Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar has faced widespread unrest and civil conflict. Last month, the Chin State Human Rights Organization (CHRO) filed a complaint with East Timor’s justice department, accusing Myanmar’s junta of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In January, CHRO officials met Jose Ramos-Horta, East Timor’s president and a key proponent of the country’s ASEAN membership. CHRO said it chose East Timor because it has an independent judiciary and is sympathetic to the Christian-majority Chin population.

Myanmar’s state-run Global New Light of Myanmar quoted the foreign ministry as saying the engagement “by a Head of State of one ASEAN member with an unlawful organization opposing another ASEAN member is totally unacceptable.” A junta spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.

In early February, East Timor reportedly began legal proceedings against the Myanmar junta, including its chief Min Aung Hlaing, following CHRO’s complaint. Myanmar’s foreign ministry criticized East Timor’s actions, calling them “an unprecedented practice” that could escalate public resentment.

The East Timor embassy in Myanmar did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The diplomatic spat comes as Myanmar faces international scrutiny for alleged genocide against the Muslim Rohingya minority, a case currently at the International Court of Justice, which Myanmar denies.