Myanmar expels East Timor envoy after rights group complaint against junta​Myanmar has ordered ⁠the ⁠head of East Timor's diplomatic ​mission to leave the country within seven days, state media quoted the foreign ministry ​as saying on Monday, in an ‌escalating row over a criminal complaint filed by a rights group against Myanmar's armed forces. Myanmar's Chin state Human Rights Organization (CHRO) last month filed a complaint with the justice department of East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, ‌alleging that the Myanmar junta had carried out war crimes and crimes against humanity since the 2021 coup. In January, CHRO officials also met East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta, who last year led the ⁠tiny Catholic nation's accession into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is also a member. In early February, CHRO said East Timor's judicial authorities had opened legal ⁠proceedings against the Myanmar junta, including its chief Min Aung Hlaing, following the complaint filed by the rights group. East Timor's embassy in Myanmar did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent via email.

Source: Bangkok Post February 16, 2026 19:38 UTC