Two leading human rights organizations issued urgent appeals to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to reject the Myanmar junta’s planned December elections and cease all engagement with the military regime, ahead of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

In separate statements, Justice for Myanmar (JFM) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the region's leaders to take a firm stance against what they described as the junta's "sham" election and to support the Myanmar people's struggle for democracy.

Justice for Myanmar stated that ASEAN "has the opportunity at this summit to end its continued complicity" by barring the junta and its representatives from all ASEAN bodies, Irrawaddy reported. The group highlighted that since the February 2021 coup, at least 54 companies based in ASEAN member states have maintained business relationships with the military regime in key sectors, including oil and gas, timber, aviation fuel, and surveillance technology.

A protester holds an image of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during an anti-coup march in February  2021

JFM also warned that the junta's recent rebranding from the "State Administration Council" to the "State Security and Peace Commission" was a "calculated move to circumvent sanctions and obscure accountability for ongoing international crimes."

"The junta’s so-called polls are not a path to democracy, but a façade designed to falsely legitimise its reign of terror," said JFM spokesman Yadanar Maung. "An election held under gunpoint by an illegitimate junta categorically rejected by the Myanmar people is a sham. ASEAN must unequivocally reject this fake process, refuse to send observers, and deny the junta any form of legitimacy."

Echoing the call, Human Rights Watch warned that Myanmar’s junta possesses "neither the intention nor the capacity" to hold an election that meets international standards. The group asserted that the polls, scheduled to begin December 28, would only "deepen repression and violence."

HRW's Asia director, John Sifton, stated that the regime's ongoing atrocities have created an environment where fair voting is impossible. "The junta’s repression and unlawful attacks have created a climate of fear in which no genuine polls can take place," Sifton said.

The organization noted that the regime has intensified its attacks on civilians and crackdowns on opposition groups ahead of the polls, committing atrocities including killings, torture, and sexual violence that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"ASEAN and its partners should categorically reject the idea that free and fair elections can currently be held in Myanmar and refuse to support the elections in any way," Sifton added. "Other governments should also signal that if elections are held, any supposed results will not be considered credible."

BOB Post