ASEAN will not certify Myanmar election or send observers, Malaysia says

ASEAN will not send election observers to Myanmar’s ongoing three-stage, military-run election and therefore will not recognize or endorse the results, Malaysia’s foreign minister Mohamad Hasan said on January 20. He explained that ASEAN had already rejected Myanmar’s request for observers at last year’s summit, although some member states chose to act independently. The election, which began in December and has seen low voter turnout, has been widely criticized by the UN, Western governments, and human rights groups as an attempt to legitimize military rule through proxy parties, despite junta denials. In a separate remark, Mohamad also said ASEAN and China are aiming to finalize a long-delayed South China Sea code of conduct this year, amid ongoing territorial disputes in the region.