PETALING JAYA: Asean has been urged to reject Myanmar’s planned election and overhaul its strategy on the country as the military junta escalates violence against civilians ahead of a proposed December vote.
In a joint statement, former foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah, former Thai foreign minister Kasit Piromya, and three former United Nations experts on Myanmar – all founding members of the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar – said the 47th Asean Summit this month was the bloc’s “final chance to act” and to “unequivocally reject the junta’s sham election”.
They said the military regime’s plan to hold an election on Dec 28 failed to meet the basic conditions for legitimacy outlined by foreign minister Mohamad Hasan, who recently stated that the polls must be free, fair, transparent, and credible.