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Myanmar’s military junta has ordered the expulsion of East Timor’s highest-ranking diplomat, escalating a diplomatic feud over international legal accountability.
The junta announced on Sunday that it had summoned the East Timorese charge d’affaires on Friday, granting the representative exactly one week to exit the country.
The move follows reports that Dili has initiated a formal investigation into the military’s alleged atrocities.
The tension centres on a war crimes case lodged by the Chin Human Rights Organisation.
According to the group, East Timor recently appointed a senior prosecutor to lead a probe into the junta’s actions, which include allegations of crimes against humanity.
The case was filed under the legal principle of “universal jurisdiction,” a doctrine that allows national courts to prosecute individuals for international crimes regardless of where they were committed or the nationality of the victims and perpetrators.
The junta expressed “great disappointment” over East Timor’s decision to allow the legal proceedings to move forward.
By ousting the diplomat, the military regime is signalling its refusal to recognise the authority of foreign legal bodies or the involvement of regional neighbours in its internal affairs.
East Timor has notably stood out among Southeast Asian nations for its vocal criticism of the junta since the 2021 coup.
This expulsion further isolates Myanmar’s military leadership as it faces mounting pressure from human rights groups and international tribunals.
While the junta continues to dismiss accusations of war crimes as foreign interference, the move by East Timor represents a rare and significant effort by a neighbouring state to use domestic legal frameworks to hold the regime accountable for its conduct during the ongoing civil conflict.
