Dhaka, April 2 -- The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) on Wednesday strongly condemned the decision to invite the "illegitimate" Myanmar military junta to participate in the upcoming Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) meeting in Bangkok on April 3-4.

APHR called on BIMSTEC member states, particularly Thailand and India, to reject the junta's participation and take decisive action in support of democracy and human rights.

If BIMSTEC seeks to be a credible regional actor, it must prove that it stands for justice, not complicity, APHR said in a statement from Jakarta.

"Engaging the Myanmar junta without demanding concrete commitments to human rights and democracy is a bet...