ASEAN Declines to Observe or Certify Myanmar Election, Nears South China Sea Code with China

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has decided not to send observers or certify Myanmar's ongoing three-stage election, Malaysia's Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan stated. The election, initiated in December 2025 under military rule following the 2021 coup, has faced criticism from the UN, Western countries, and rights groups as an attempt to legitimize military control, a claim denied by Myanmar's junta. ASEAN rejected Myanmar's request for observers at its 2025 summit, though some member states sent observers independently. Separately, ASEAN is nearing agreement on a long-delayed code of conduct with China regarding South China Sea activities.