In a bid to project legitimacy amid ongoing conflict and military losses, Myanmar’s regime Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Than Swe announced plans to invite international observers to its planned elections, which are tentatively scheduled for November 2025, during an informal meeting with regional representatives and those from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Bangkok, Thailand on Thursday.
“The foreign minister [Than Swe] outlined election preparations and emphasized the regime’s willingness to engage in inclusive dialogue,” said Maris Sangiampongsa, Thailand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. He added that regional leaders expressed cautious optimism about the plans, stressing the need for dialogue while acknowledging the deep-rooted crisis gripping Myanmar since the 2021 military coup.
At the informal talks in Bangkok, Than Swe outlined the regime’s election roadmap despite it not having “stable control” of at least 86 percent of the country, according to the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M) in its report from earlier this year.
Foreign affairs representatives from six countries, including ministers from Laos and Thailand attended the meeting. Senior officials from neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, China, and India – all of which share borders almost completely under the control of anti-regime forces – were also in attendance.
Following the talks, Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told media in Bangkok that Than Swe assured delegates that a nationwide census—described as a prerequisite for the polls—has been completed in Myanmar. He also noted that 53 political parties have registered with the Union Election Commission (UEC) to compete in its planned elections.
The National League for Democracy (NLD) party refused to re-register with the UEC following the 2021 military coup. It won both the 2020 and 2015 elections in a landslide. State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint have been held in prison by the regime, which seized power in Naypyidaw after the coup.
Following the talks on Dec. 19, Bangkok said that Naypyidaw intends to invite election observers from neighbouring countries. Last month, Cambodia’s ruling party stated that it would send election observers to Myanmar.
Representatives at the talks reiterated their commitment to finding a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Myanmar, with Thai officials underscoring the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus as its guiding framework. ASEAN member states, including the current chair Laos and the upcoming chair Malaysia, which assumes the role in January, are set to discuss Myanmar’s crisis further on Dec. 20.
