Myanmar Junta-backed Party ‘Victory’ Rejected as Illegitimate by Southeast Asian MPs

JAKARTA, 27 January 2026—ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) vehemently denounces the junta-orchestrated election in Myanmar and the declaration that the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has ‘won’ an election held under conditions that make any claim to legitimacy impossible.

The result, announced after a phased vote concluding on 25 January 2026, was predictable. A contest run by the very forces that seized power in 2021, carried out massive repression, exclusion and violence.

This so-called election saw significantly lower participation than recent national ballots, with turnout figures far below those in 2015 and 2020; a reflection not of indifference but of fear and the practical impossibility of voting in vast territories under armed conflict. Many citizens reported that they either stayed away or voted only to avoid reprisals; others were prevented from voting altogether by clashes, displacement and the junta’s restrictions.

Key opposition parties and leaders, including the National League for Democracy and Aung San Suu Kyi, remain jailed, dissolved or barred from meaningful participation. The election therefore cannot be considered free, fair or credible.

APHR emphasized its rejection of any attempt by states, regional bodies or institutions to normalize or legitimize this process and its consequent results.

The human cost of this sham election is high. Voting occurred amid airstrikes, military offensives and mass displacement, making it impossible for people to freely express their will.

In this light, regional and international governments, including lawmakers, must publicly reject the junta’s sham election and any institutions formed through it. The process lacks legitimacy, public participation and territorial control; and is being used to entrench military rule and shield war criminals.

APHR calls on the Philippines, as ASEAN 2026 Chair, to lead the region in refusing to recognize the outcomes of the junta’s sham election, pressing for the release of political prisoners, ensuring humanitarian access and protection for civilians and holding perpetrators of rights abuses accountable.

ASEAN must move beyond the failed principle of non-interference and amplify the voice of the people of Myanmar and concretely support their aspirations for democracy, justice and safety.