23 January 2026

Human rights activists have strongly criticized and condemned a statement issued by a nationwide Islamic religious organization in Myanmar expressing support for the military junta, which is currently facing genocide charges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Activists said the statement effectively ignores the junta’s systematic repression and killings of Muslim communities, including the Rohingya, and further deepens the suffering faced by oppressed people.

They pointed out that the statement contradicts the core values of Islam, which emphasize standing for truth and standing with the oppressed. They also stressed that such a position does not represent the voice of the broader Muslim community.

“All religions, including Islam, teach people to stand for justice. Religious leaders, in particular, bear greater responsibility than ordinary people to uphold justice,” said a Muslim university lecturer who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), speaking to New Day Myanmar.
“But in Myanmar’s realpolitik, things are even worse. This also exists in other authoritarian countries. Religious organizations are often engaged in mutual exchanges of interests.”

He added, “When the entire country is being bombed and people are being killed, they remain silent. Yet now, when the ICJ case arises, they suddenly speak out to defend Min Aung Hlaing, the main perpetrator of genocide. One has to question what kind of moral standing such an organization has. It is nothing more than an evil institution cloaked in religion.”

Human rights activists said that issuing a statement in support of the junta during this critical period—when the military is being prosecuted at an international court for the genocide of the Rohingya—amounts to reopening old wounds for victims of oppression.

They also criticized the organization for remaining silent when Muslims and Rohingya were being arrested, killed, and forcibly displaced in the past, only to voice support for the junta now, when it is under intense international pressure. Such actions, they said, are incompatible with human rights principles.

In addition, human rights groups urged the international community to continue applying pressure to ensure accountability and responsibility for the junta’s ongoing human rights violations.