Cebu summit: ASEAN does not recognise the results of Myanmar’s elections
Held in three phases between December and January, voting saw the victory of the military-backed party, taking almost all the seats according to the official tally. The outcome was a foregone conclusion, since the main opposition forces were excluded. Meanwhile, ASEAN, under the Philippine presidency, also discussed tensions in the South China Sea.
Cebu (AsiaNews) – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has decided not to recognise the results of the election held in December-January in Myanmar, the first since the military seized power in a 2021 coup.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro made the announcement at the end of meetings of the regional organisation in Cebu City. Ms Lazaro said that, “yes, as of now” ASEAN “has not endorsed the three phases of the elections that were held.”
The 11-member ASEAN, which includes Myanmar, does not officially recognise the military government since the military overthrew the government of Aung San Suu Kyi on 1 February 2021, exactly five years ago.
Several governments, however, maintain an ambiguous and controversial relationship with the regime, while the civil war sparked by the coup continues to claim thousands of lives and displace millions.
The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the military-backed party led by former military officials claimed a landslide victory in the election, which ended on 25 January after a three-stage process.
The outcome of the vote was widely expected, since the main opposition forces were excluded and political freedoms severely restricted.
According to results released by state media, the USDP won 232 of the 263 seats up for grabs in the lower house (Pyithu Hluttaw) and 109 of the 157 seats announced so far in the upper house (Amyotha Hluttaw).
Parliament is expected to convene in March to elect the speaker, while a new government is expected in April. It is not yet clear whether junta leader Min Aung Hlaing will be elected president.
ASEAN is not the only source of criticism; human rights groups and several Western powers have said that the vote was neither free nor fair, describing it as an attempt to legitimise military rule.
“Meaningful political progress in Myanmar requires a cessation of hostilities, inclusive dialogue and participation by all stakeholders,” said Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, stressing that only such conditions can create a government with genuine popular legitimacy.
The Philippines, which holds the rotating ASEAN presidency this year (although Myanmar would have held the role before its suspension), had placed the Myanmar crisis at the top of the agenda.
Tensions within the bloc are not limited to Myanmar. The ministers also discussed the border row between Thailand and Cambodia, which has led to armed clashes, as well as disputes in the South China Sea.
On the latter front, ASEAN has decided to intensify contacts with China, engaging in monthly meetings to try to formulae a code of conduct by the end of the year to reduce the risk of escalation.
Opening the meeting in Cebu, Lazaro called on member states to maintain maximum restraint and respect for international law, warning that unilateral actions and conflicts were eroding the global order.
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