Myanmar has invited all ASEAN member states to serve as observers in its general election scheduled for December 28, 2025. However, the invitation has been firmly rejected by the Southeast Asian bloc.
During the 47th ASEAN Summit held over three days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, regional leaders agreed that violence must cease and inclusive political dialogue must come first before any election takes place.
“[We] underscore the importance of free, fair, peaceful, transparent, inclusive, and credible general elections. We emphasize that the cessation of violence and inclusive political dialogue must precede elections,” read the leaders’ statement in a four-page official document.
The decision signals that ASEAN is unwilling to grant legitimacy to an election deemed to fall short of democratic standards.
Even though Myanmar remains a member of the bloc, junta leaders have been barred from attending high-level ASEAN meetings since the 2021 coup.
ASEAN Firmly Rejects Junta’s Invitation
ASEAN’s position was announced by Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn on Thursday, October 30, 2025, in Jakarta. He stated that the regional bloc will not send a collective observation team to Myanmar’s election.
“Collectively, we will not have an ASEAN observation team,” Kao said.
He added that member states are still allowed to send observers on a bilateral basis, depending on their own policies. However, there will be no official election monitoring mission under the ASEAN banner.
The stance was reiterated by Foreign Minister Sugiono, who said that sending observers to Myanmar could be interpreted as legitimizing an election that is not yet fit to be held.
“All [ASEAN] members agreed that the election may not yet be appropriate to hold,” he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, October 28.
Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. acknowledged differences among ASEAN countries. He expressed hope that a common position could still be reached before December but made clear:
“It would be much preferable if ASEAN moves as one… [If there is no consensus], the Philippines will move by itself. We will agree to disagree.”
Myanmar Insists on Holding December 2025 Election
Myanmar’s military government remains determined to hold a national election on December 28, 2025, which it claims is a step toward national reconciliation. The junta even invited ASEAN to help ensure that the process would be “transparent and credible.”
However, the invitation has been met with widespread skepticism from the international community.
Myanmar’s Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, U Hau Khan Sum, stated that the upcoming election would be “free, fair, peaceful, transparent, inclusive, and credible general elections.”
Nevertheless, the junta recently enacted an election law that threatens the death penalty for anyone who opposes or disrupts the voting process.
Conditions on the ground indicate that the election will not take place in vast areas controlled by pro-democracy forces and armed ethnic groups. Moreover, Aung San Suu Kyi—the ousted civilian leader—remains imprisoned, along with most senior figures of the now-dissolved National League for Democracy (NLD).
Sharp Criticism from the UN and Global Community
Strong criticism was voiced by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday, October 27, 2025, on the sidelines of the Kuala Lumpur Summit.
“I don’t think anybody believes that those elections will be free and fair. I don’t think anybody believes those elections will contribute to the solution of the problems of Myanmar,” Guterres said.
He added, “This is the moment in which we need to increase humanitarian assistance, to stop the violence, and at the same time to pave the way for a political evolution leading to civilian rule and to respect for a constitutional form of government.”
Beyond the UN, Human Rights Watch has labeled the election a “sham,” while Amnesty International has accused the junta of repressing critics by arresting anyone who speaks against the electoral process.
The European Union, through Commissioner Kajsa Ollongren, also rejected sending observers, arguing that the election would be “neither free nor fair.”
Myanmar Crisis and Its Regional Impact
Since the February 2021 military coup, Myanmar has plunged into a civil war between junta forces and pro-democracy groups. The conflict has killed thousands of civilians and forced millions to flee their homes.
According to UN reports, the turmoil has fueled the rise of online scam centers that traffic and enslave more than 120,000 people—many subjected to torture, with some even killed.
A report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in August 2024 described extreme military brutality. One of the most horrific incidents occurred on October 17, 2024, in Si Par Village, Sagaing Region, where soldiers reportedly mutilated and burned three civilians.
Within this context, ASEAN’s rejection of Myanmar’s election invitation is seen as a strategic move to deny legitimacy to the junta. A diplomat quoted by AFP emphasized:
“What it means is that there are no ASEAN observers, but ASEAN countries are free to send observers on a bilateral basis.”
