Myanmar’s military authorities have ordered the expulsion of East Timor’s top diplomatic representative, escalating tensions after a rights group revealed that Dili had initiated legal proceedings against the junta over alleged war crimes.

In a statement issued on Sunday (February 15), the junta said Timor-Leste’s charge d’affaires had been summoned and given one week to leave the country. The move followed reports that East Timor had appointed a senior prosecutor to examine a criminal complaint filed against Myanmar’s military leadership.

The complaint was submitted by the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO), which represents members of Myanmar’s Chin ethnic minority. The group said East Timor had opened a case under the principle of universal jurisdiction, enabling domestic courts to prosecute serious international crimes regardless of where they were committed.

According to AFP, the CHRO stated that a “senior Timorese prosecutor has been appointed to look into the criminal file” it submitted, which allegedly contains evidence of gang rape, a massacre of 10 civilians, the killing of religious leaders and an air strike on a hospital.

Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup in February 2021, overthrowing the elected government and triggering nationwide unrest. The junta has long faced accusations of widespread human rights abuses, particularly against ethnic minorities. It is also currently defending itself at the International Court of Justice over allegations of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

In its response, the junta described East Timor’s reported legal action as a “great disappointment” and accused Dili of breaching the principles of sovereignty and non-interference enshrined in the ASEAN Charter.

The diplomatic rift is particularly sensitive, as both countries are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. East Timor, formally known as Timor-Leste, joined the bloc in October 2025 as its 11th member.

This is not the first diplomatic clash between the two sides. In August 2023, Myanmar expelled East Timor’s top diplomat after his government met with a shadow civilian administration formed in the wake of the 2021 coup.

The latest development underscores deepening regional divisions over how to address Myanmar’s ongoing political and humanitarian crisis.

BOB Post