Episode #314: Celito Arlegue, the Executive Director of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD), offers a reflective account of his organization's involvement with Myanmar. He discusses CALD's initial engagement with Myanmar’s National League for Democracy (NLD), providing training and support leading up to the 2015 elections, and recalls the optimism of that period, with many NLD members showing remarkable resilience despite years of imprisonment and torture. These experiences were life-changing for Arlegue, who was struck by the leaders' focus on national reconciliation and democratic progress instead of any justifiable animosity toward the military.
However, Arlegue also admits that CALD was unprepared for the challenges the NLD would face in governance, particularly during the Rohingya crisis. The complexities of this crisis strained relations between CALD and the NLD, as the organization struggled to balance its support for democracy with the need to address human rights violations. Arlegue expresses regret that CALD did not do more during this period, acknowledging the difficulty of navigating such a delicate situation.
In the aftermath of the 2021 military coup, CALD’s connections with Myanmar’s democratic forces have become increasingly difficult to maintain, as many leaders are now in exile or imprisoned. Arlegue underscores the importance of international recognition for the National Unity Government (NUG) and calls for greater support for Myanmar's resistance forces, including military aid. Despite the challenges, Arlegue remains hopeful, recognizing the extraordinary courage and determination of the Myanmar people in their fight for democracy and human rights.
“I have to say that I'm really surprised that ASEAN is not recognizing this as a regional security issue,” he says. “The mere fact that it's happening within our borders, and as ASEAN, we could not do anything about it! It really baffles me why ASEAN is not doing enough on this particular issue.” Arlegue further calls on ASEAN to recognize the NUG and CRPH as “the legitimate voices of the Myanmar people.”