November 6, 2025 | 11:09 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono said Indonesia is weighing the decision to send observers to Myanmar's scheduled election in December 2025.
"We're undecided, but we want an inclusive election. However, the decision is entirely up to Myanmar," Sugiono said in Jakarta on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Kao Kim Hourn stressed that the regional bloc will not send official observers to Myanmar's election scheduled for the end of this year.
However, Kao Kim Hourn said that ASEAN member states are allowed to send observer teams bilaterally.
"What it means is that there are no ASEAN observers, but ASEAN countries are free to send observers on a bilateral basis," a diplomat said, reported by The Irrawaddy.
A second diplomat confirmed that there is no consensus among the members to deploy a mission under the ASEAN flag.
Not sending ASEAN observers "would certainly be a blow to the legitimacy aspirations of Myanmar," said Mustafa Izzuddin, an international relations analyst at Solaris Strategies Singapore.
"There will be no credible evidence to show that a free and just election has been held."
Regarding the issue of sending personnel to Myanmar, Antara News reported that Prabowo emphasized the importance of upholding democratic principles and transparency in Myanmar's political process.
He then urged ASEAN to deploy observer missions to help ensure the integrity of the upcoming general election next month.
"The Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair must continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders. In due time, ASEAN can consider deploying observers to help ensure transparency and accountability in the democratic process," he said.
A report from The Interpreter stated that ASEAN is also seen as only engaging in diplomacy behind closed doors. Humanitarian activists and Myanmar opposition leaders have criticized the upcoming election, calling it a sham, considering over 22,000 political prisoners are still detained. This includes 80-year-old Aung San Suu Kyi, believed to be held in solitary confinement.
Editor’s Choice: Prabowo Urges ASEAN to Consider Sending Observers for Myanmar Election
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