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2w ago

Myanmar Orders Timor-Leste’s Top Diplomat Out After War Crimes Case Proceeds

The expulsion follows Timor-Leste’s acceptance of a rights group’s criminal complaint alleging war crimes by Myanmar’s military.

FILE - Myanmar military leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing visits a polling station during the final round of general election in Mandalay, central Myanmar, on Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo, File)
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FILE - East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta listens to a question during an interview with The Associated Press in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)
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Overview

  • State media said the foreign ministry gave charge d’affaires Elisio do Rosario de Sousa seven days to leave, with a deadline of Feb. 20.
  • Myanmar condemned the appointment of a senior Timorese prosecutor to examine the case and accused Timor-Leste of violating ASEAN non‑interference principles.
  • The Chin Human Rights Organization filed the complaint under universal jurisdiction, citing evidence that includes gang rape, a massacre of 10 people, deaths of Christian clergy, and an airstrike on a hospital.
  • Rights advocates say Timor-Leste’s move is the first instance of an ASEAN member initiating such legal action against a fellow member state.
  • President José Ramos‑Horta met CHRO representatives in January, and the junta is also defending a separate genocide case at the International Court of Justice brought by The Gambia.