ASEAN stakeholders have taken a united stand against Myanmar’s planned military-led elections, denouncing them as illegitimate and a breach of the bloc’s Five-Point Consensus. The declaration came after a series of high-level meetings hosted by Malaysia in its role as ASEAN Chair.
Spearheaded by Special Envoy Tan Sri Othman Hashim, the meetings brought together representatives from the National Unity Government (NUG), Ethnic Resistance Organisations (EROs), and various civil society and political groups. Their shared message was clear — elections under military control, amid ongoing violence and suppression, cannot represent the will of the people.
In a joint statement, the stakeholders condemned the junta’s continued violence against civilians and its disregard for human rights and democratic values. They warned that holding elections under such conditions would only tighten the military’s grip on power and deepen the crisis, putting regional stability at serious risk.
The participants urged ASEAN to move beyond words and take urgent, time-bound action — including ending violence, protecting civilians, ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid, and securing the release of political prisoners. They further called on the bloc to hold Myanmar’s military leadership accountable for ignoring the Five-Point Consensus.
As the meetings concluded, delegates expressed gratitude to Malaysia for its leadership and reaffirmed ASEAN’s responsibility to stand with the people of Myanmar — not with those who oppress them. The message was both political and deeply human: peace, justice, and democracy are not privileges, but rights that every person in Myanmar deserves.
At its heart, this call is more than a political stance; it is a cry for humanity — a reminder that true stability in Southeast Asia can only be achieved when voices of the people, not the sound of guns, shape the future.
