Myanmar elections to be discussed at ASEAN summit; Resistance groups demand regime polls be rejected

Myanmar elections to be discussed at ASEAN summit

Naypyidaw has invited the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to send observers for its scheduled elections, and the regional bloc will discuss the request during a regional summit later this month, stated Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The invitation to send election observers was extended to all ASEAN member states, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday. 

“The Foreign Minister [Mohamad Hasan] noted the invitation extended to ASEAN member states to send election observers. For Malaysia, the invitation was addressed to Malaysia’s Election Commission,” added the foreign ministry. Critics view the regime election as a sham exercise designed to legitimize the military’s rule via a proxy political party called the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).