European Parliament Adopts Resolution on Myanmar and the Rohingya (2025/2986(RSP))

European Parliament

Arakan Now | 27 November 2025

The following is the full text of the resolution officially adopted by the European Parliament on the situation in Myanmar and the humanitarian crisis of the Rohingya. 

European Parliament resolution on the political situation in Myanmar including the humanitarian crisis of the Rohingya

(2025/2986(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Myanmar and on the situation of the Rohingya,

– having regard to the UN Human Rights Council and General Assembly resolutions on Myanmar and on the Rohingya,

– having regard to the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) on the situation in Myanmar, adopted at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders’ Meeting in Jakarta on 24 April 2021,

– having regard to the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,

– having regard to the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol thereto,

– having regard to the joint statement of 6 January 2025 by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and the Governments of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, Timor-Leste and the United Kingdom addressing the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar,

– having regard to the statement of 31 January 2025 by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the fourth anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar,

– having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/820 of 25 April 2025 amending Decision 2013/184/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Myanmar/Burma[1],

– having regard to the statement of 16 May 2025 by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Myanmar/Burma,

– having regard to the visit of Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights to Bangladesh from 16 to 18 September 2025,

– having regard to the joint statement of 17 October 2025 by the members of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights and of the European Parliament calling for stronger EU action to reject the Myanmar junta’s elections and prioritise humanitarian protection,

– having regard to the report of 20 October 2025 of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar,

– having regard to the ‘ASEAN Leaders’ Review and Decision on the Implementation of the Five-Point Consensus’, adopted in Kuala Lumpur on 26 October 2025,

– having regard to the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

– having regard to Rules 136(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 1 February 2021, the military of Myanmar, known as the Tatmadaw, in a clear violation of Myanmar’s Constitution, arrested President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and seized power over the legislative, judicial and executive branches of government through a coup d’état; whereas in August 2021, the commander-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing, declared himself Prime Minister and extended the state of emergency far beyond the deadlines initially announced;

B. whereas since 1 February 2021, politicians, government officials, civil society representatives, religious actors, peaceful protesters and journalists have been unlawfully arrested or put under house arrest; whereas the latest report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar states that, since the coup, nearly 30 000 people have been arrested and more than 22 000 political prisoners remain behind bars in October 2025; whereas at least 1 853 people have died in detention since the coup and more than 70 additional individuals died while being detained between January and July 2025;

C. whereas the junta has dramatically escalated its indiscriminate aerial bombardments, artillery strikes and arson attacks on civilian infrastructure, including schools, medical clinics, monasteries, displacement camps and houses, destroying more than 100 000 civilian homes and killing at least 7 300 civilians since the coup; whereas the junta continues to impose forced conscription, including of young people, while conducting arbitrary arrests, torture, extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and sexual violence;

D. whereas approximately 3.6 million people have been displaced as a result of the armed conflict and human rights violations in Myanmar; whereas at the beginning of 2025, the UN estimated that 19.9 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance, a figure that increased to 21.9 million following the earthquake in March 2025;

E. whereas the situation has deteriorated further following the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake of 28 March 2025, after which junta forces blocked humanitarian access, threatened and extorted relief workers, confiscated medical supplies and continued air strikes and heavy-weapons attacks in civilian and disaster-affected areas, without taking measures to protect civilians, making 2025 the deadliest year air strikes since the coup;

F. whereas the economic crisis in Myanmar is deepening, with massive GDP losses, hyperinflation, currency collapse, food insecurity and poverty affecting a large share of the population, further exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian tragedy;

G. whereas in April 2021 the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting resulted in a five-point consensus on the situation in Myanmar; whereas the EU supports ASEAN’s diplomatic role and efforts to end the violence in Myanmar and return power to a democratically elected civilian government; whereas ASEAN countries have officially emphasised that the cessation of violence and inclusive political dialogue must precede elections; whereas genuine national reconciliation, peace and democracy can only be achieved if the military junta relinquishes its grip on power and civilian governance is restored, along with the protection of minority rights and the participation of civil society, and if accountability for past abuses is guaranteed;

H. whereas Myanmar’s predominantly Muslim Rohingya minority has endured more than five decades of state-led marginalisation; whereas the Myanmar military has subjected the Rohingya to atrocious violence amounting to crimes against humanity and war crimes; whereas according to the 1982 Citizenship Law of Myanmar, the Rohingya are not considered citizens by the authorities and thus represent the largest stateless population in the world; whereas an estimated 600 000 Rohingya remain trapped in Rakhine State and are subject to persecution and violence, confined to camps and villages without freedom of movement, and cut off from access to adequate food, health care, education and livelihoods;

I. whereas violence in Rakhine State has intensified dramatically since 2024, with the junta, the Arakan Army and Rohingya armed groups all implicated in grave human rights violations, including mass killings, forced recruitment of Rohingya men and boys, beheadings, arson attacks on Rohingya and Rakhine villages, drone strikes on civilians, and attacks on displacement sites; whereas between 2024 and November 2025, approximately 150 000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh due to the escalating violence;

J. whereas Bangladesh continues to host nearly one million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char; whereas humanitarian assistance has reached crisis levels following the dramatic collapse of global funding; whereas continuous humanitarian aid and EU engagement is necessary and indispensable for the survival of the Rohingya; whereas the absence of prospects for voluntary, safe and dignified return leaves the Rohingya in a state of protracted displacement and deepening despair;

K. whereas credible UN, human rights and investigative bodies, as well as the UN Special Rapporteur, have documented widespread and systematic attacks against the people of Myanmar, amounting in many instances to crimes against humanity and war crimes under international law, and have underlined the need for accountability;

L. whereas the EU and its Member States have consistently called for accountability for crimes against the Rohingya and supported international justice processes; whereas in November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor requested an arrest warrant for Myanmar’s Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, which remains pending before the ICC; whereas impunity for serious violations continues;

M. whereas the EU has increased its restrictive measures against Myanmar since the 2021 military coup, adopting eight packages of sanctions targeting Myanmar’s military regime so far; whereas these packages of sanctions include travel bans for individuals, a ban on surveillance equipment an arms embargo, an export ban on dual-use goods and asset freezes for individuals and entities;

N. whereas Myanmar’s military authorities continue to restrict internet access, impose nationwide and localised shutdowns, criminalise online expression through the 2025 Cybersecurity Law, ban virtual private networks, censor digital platforms and arrest those expressing dissent online, severely undermining freedom of expression and access to information;

O. whereas on 29 July 2025, the junta enacted the draconian Law on the Protection of Multiparty Democratic General Elections from Obstruction, Disruption and Destruction, which criminalises criticism of the electoral process by banning any speeches, organised gatherings, or peaceful protests deemed to ‘disrupt’ the electoral process; whereas over 40 political parties have been dissolved following the enactment of this law; whereas violations of this law carry up to 20 years in prison and even the death penalty;

P. whereas since August 2025, junta authorities have arrested at least 94 individuals, including four children, under this law for their online activity and acts including distributing stickers or leaflets and delivering speeches, among other alleged acts of ‘interference’; whereas on 9 September 2025 Nay Thway was sentenced to seven years of hard labour in Taunggyi, Shan State, for a Facebook post criticising the junta; whereas on 29 October 2025, filmmakers Zambu Htun Thet Lwin and Aung Chan Lu were arrested for merely ‘liking’ a Facebook post critical of an election propaganda film;

Q. whereas the military junta is attempting to fabricate legitimacy through fraudulent multiphase elections scheduled for 28 December 2025 and 11 January 2026; whereas these illegitimate elections are being organised in parts of the country controlled by the military junta and in an environment of systematic repression, including the mass arrests of opposition leaders, the dissolution of political parties such as the National League for Democracy, the criminalisation of dissent, pervasive surveillance, severe restrictions on movement, and the imprisonment of journalists, pro-democracy activists and human rights defenders;

1. Strongly condemns the coup d’état that took place on 1 February 2021 in Myanmar and the junta’s violent and illegitimate rule, including the ongoing repression at the hands of the Tatmadaw and the grave human rights violations committed against civilians, ethnic minorities and political opponents; calls on the Tatmadaw to fully respect the outcome of the democratic elections of November 2020 and to immediately reinstate the civilian government, end the state of emergency, cease the use of violence against peaceful protesters, respect the right to freedom of expression and association, and allow all elected parliamentarians to assume their mandates without restriction;

2. Expresses profound alarm at the methods of brutal repression employed by the junta, including forced conscription, torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, sexual and gender-based violence, and systemic impunity;

3. Calls for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the violence as a prerequisite for sustainable, lasting, long-term peace for the people of Myanmar; emphasises that no transparent, inclusive electoral process is possible without bringing the violence in Myanmar to an end; stresses that any elections held in the current atmosphere of fear and repression and in breach of all international standards cannot be considered free and fair;

4. Rejects as illegitimate any elections organised unilaterally by the junta, in particular the general election scheduled for December 2025 and January 2026, which is in clear violation of democratic standards; stresses that no credible electoral process can take place under conditions of repression, mass displacement, continued arbitrary detentions, and the absence of inclusive political dialogue; denounces any results of these illegitimate elections that represent the junta’s attempt to gain international legitimacy; affirms that a credible pathway towards peace and democracy requires the military junta to end the violence and relinquish power, allow a civilian transitional authority, restore democratic institutions and reinstate legitimate civilian leaders;

5. Condemns the Political Party Registration Law and the Law on the Protection of Multiparty Democratic General Elections from Obstruction, Disruption and Destruction, which are tools of blatant political and social oppression, and calls for their immediate repeal;

6. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and all others who have been arrested on unfounded accusations or who are being held on the basis of politically motivated charges;

7. Supports the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw and the National Unity Government (NUG) as the only legitimate representatives of the democratic wishes of the people of Myanmar; calls on ASEAN and the international community to include and involve them in genuine and inclusive political dialogue and efforts aimed at the peaceful resolution of the crisis based on respect for the rule of law;

8. Reaffirms the multi-ethnic nature of Myanmar and urges the Tatmadaw to fully respect each ethnicity’s inalienable rights; calls for an immediate, rigorous, independent and transparent investigation into the crimes committed in the country by the military and for their perpetrators to be brought to justice;

9. Reiterates its condemnation of the ongoing persecution and mass displacement of and systematic attacks against the Muslim Rohingya population; underlines that the EU continues to closely monitor the actions of the military leadership towards minorities in the country, including the Rohingya; condemns the disproportionate suffering of the Rohingya minority, who remain stateless, face mounting discrimination and lack meaningful access to humanitarian aid, while being trapped between warring parties;

10. Strongly condemns the persecution of religious minorities, including Christians, Muslims and other religious groups in the country; urges the Tatmadaw to end the killings and arrests of people belonging to religious minorities, as well as the shelling and raiding of places of worship; expresses its deep concern about the frequent attacks on churches, mosques, monasteries, schools and medical facilities, and the arrests of religious leaders; highlights the growing concern of the international community over the violent targeting of religious minorities in Myanmar; calls for respect for religious freedom in Myanmar;

11. Stresses the need to address the root causes of the Rohingya crisis, including discrimination, denial of citizenship and exclusion from political life; calls for reform of the 1982 Citizenship Law that denies Rohingya their Myanmar citizenship rights;

12. Calls for efforts towards sustainable improvements in ensuring the dignified and safe return of the Rohingya population; calls for the EU to assume a leading role in mobilising international support for the Rohingya people and in ensuring accountability for those responsible for their persecution, in particular the Myanmar military; commends Bangladesh for its crucial support and generosity in hosting over one million members of the Rohingya community, despite enormous challenges, and the engagement of the local populations in the Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong districts in providing support; encourages the authorities to continue their efforts to improve the living conditions of the Rohingya;

13. Welcomes the EU’s humanitarian aid allocation of March 2025, including EUR 32.3 million for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, and calls for sustained and predictable funding of the Joint Response Plan for 2025-2026 to address critical underfunding; emphasises, however, that humanitarian funding alone cannot cover the needs of over one million refugees; underlines that resolving the Myanmar crisis, which is the root cause of the Rohingya killings, displacements and dire humanitarian crisis, is indispensable in achieving long-term, sustainable improvements in the situation of the Rohingya; calls, in this respect, for increased humanitarian assistance from the international community and countries in the region; urges the United States to continue its significant humanitarian aid to the Rohingya;

14. Calls for the EU and the Member States to ensure robust funding for psychosocial, health and protection services in refugee camps, especially for victims of sexual and gender-based violence, women, children and other vulnerable groups;

15. Stresses that the EU Member States and associated countries should maintain the embargo on the direct and indirect supply, sale and transfer, including transit, shipment and brokering, of all weapons, munitions and other military, security and surveillance equipment and systems, as well as the provision of training, maintenance and other military and security assistance; highlights the need for the ICC to further investigate the situation; asks the UN Security Council to urgently impose a global arms embargo on Myanmar;

16. Calls for robust support for international accountability mechanisms, including the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar and proceedings before the International Court of Justice; calls for the EU and its Member States to continue to support the ICC so that it can continue its critical work in Myanmar unhindered;

17. Condemns international actors, particularly Russia and China, for their political, economic and military backing of the Myanmar junta;

18. Supports the continuation and expansion of targeted sanctions against those responsible for the coup, atrocities and abuses, including military commanders, economic entities and arms suppliers; calls for renewed and strengthened international efforts to impose sanctions on the Myanmar junta and to prevent sanctions circumvention;

19. Calls on the Commission to guarantee that the Everything But Arms scheme does not benefit the junta, or otherwise to temporarily withdraw the mechanism;

20. Urges the provision of increased humanitarian aid for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, internally displaced people in Myanmar and refugees along the Thai-Myanmar border;

21. Underlines the necessity of reinforced EU-ASEAN cooperation to build a unified response that prioritises human rights and justice in Myanmar; urges ASEAN, its member states and in particular its Special Envoy on Myanmar to use their mandates proactively by cooperating closely with the UN Special Envoy and engaging all relevant stakeholders, including the NUG, ethnic organisations, women’s groups and civil society organisations, in order to advance an inclusive political process and contribute to a sustainable resolution to the crisis;

22. Calls on the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to regularly report to Parliament on the developments in Myanmar, including the situation of religious and ethnic groups;

23. Expresses its unwavering solidarity with the people of Myanmar and with their legitimate democratic representatives, including the NUG, ethnic revolutionary organisations and civil society organisations, in their struggle for freedom, dignity and democracy; honours the courage of all those resisting oppression;

24. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the legitimate President and National Unity Government of Myanmar, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the State Counsellor of Myanmar, the Tatmadaw, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Commission, the Council, the governments and parliaments of the EU Member States, the governments and parliaments of the United States, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Japan, India, Australia and Canada, the member states of ASEAN, and the People’s Republic of China, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Secretary-General of ASEAN, the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.