ANFREL Urges ASEAN Not to Legitimize Myanmar Military’s “Sham” Elections
May 9, 2026 | Burma Independent Voice
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) has called on ASEAN leaders attending the ongoing summit in Cebu, Philippines, to refrain from any actions that would grant legitimacy to the Myanmar military council’s fraudulent electoral processes.
ANFREL stated categorically that the elections conducted by the junta between December 2025 and January 2026 failed to meet even the most basic international or regional electoral standards. Consequently, the organization asserted that these polls do not reflect the genuine will of the Myanmar people and cannot be considered legitimate.
The network highlighted that the junta’s increasing restrictions on political participation, the shrinking space for civil society, and the absence of independent monitoring have left election observers, journalists, and pro-democracy activists struggling in a climate of severe danger. ANFREL emphasized that ASEAN must not recognize an electoral process that lacks any shred of credibility.
Instead of legitimizing the junta’s actions, ANFREL urged ASEAN to seek pathways that uphold the democratic aspirations of the Myanmar people. The organization pointed out that this requires meaningful engagement with legitimate democratic forces, ethnic organizations, and civil society groups. Only through such an inclusive approach, ANFREL argued, can a peaceful democratic future and regional stability be achieved.
