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The 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations volition not nonstop observers to Army-ruled Myanmar’s ongoing three-stage election and volition truthful not endorse the poll, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister said connected Tuesday (January 20, 2026).
Myanmar has been ravaged by struggle since the subject staged a coup against a civilian authorities successful 2021.
The election, which began successful December past year, has been criticised by the United Nations, galore Western countries and rights groups arsenic a ploy to legitimise subject regularisation done governmental proxies — a complaint the junta has denied.
In a debased turnout, voters cast their ballots successful the 2nd signifier of the canvass earlier this month, with the military-allied Union Solidarity and Development Party starring after securing 88% of the lower location seats contested implicit the archetypal phase.
Speaking successful parliament, Minister Mohamad Hasan said ASEAN had rejected a petition from Myanmar to nonstop predetermination observers during the yearly leaders’ acme successful Kuala Lumpur last year, though immoderate idiosyncratic subordinate states had decided to bash truthful connected their own.
“We person said that ASEAN volition not nonstop observers, and by virtuousness of that, we volition not certify the poll,” Mr. Mohamad said successful effect to a question from different lawmaker astir Malaysia and ASEAN’s presumption connected the election.
Separately, Mr. Mohamad besides said ASEAN was successful the last stages of concluding a long-proposed codification of behaviour with Beijing this twelvemonth concerning activities successful the South China Sea.
“We anticipation we are capable to bash it by this year,” helium said.
ASEAN and China pledged successful 2002 to make a codification of behaviour but took 15 years to commencement discussions, and advancement has been slow.
Beijing claims sovereignty implicit astir of the South China Sea, including parts of the 200-nautical mile exclusive economical zones of the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, complicating sportfishing and vigor exploration activities by those countries.
