KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan will seek details from Myanmar’s military leadership about a planned election when he leads a four-nation delegation to the war-torn country next month, Malaysian state media reported on Friday.
Myanmar has been in chaos since a 2021 military coup against an elected civilian government plunged the country into civil war.
Last week, the junta lifted a nationwide state of emergency and nominally transferred power to a civilian-led government ahead of the election, although the junta chief remained in charge of the country in his other role as acting president.
“I want to obtain a clearer picture (of the elections) to bring to the attention of ASEAN leaders in October,” Mohamad said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations grouping, Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported.
Mohamad, who will be accompanied by his counterparts from Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia for the trip on September 19, wanted clarity on whether Myanmar would hold a comprehensive election, Bernama reported.
Myanmar state media has reported that martial law and a state of emergency would be imposed in more than 60 townships across nine regions and states, with voting to be held in December and January.
Last month, Mohamad said ASEAN had agreed that an election in Myanmar was not a priority and urged the junta to adhere to the grouping’s “five-point consensus” peace plan instead.
Myanmar is an ASEAN member, but its generals have been barred from attending the bloc’s key meetings since 2022 for failing to honour the peace plan. Malaysia is the current chair of ASEAN.
Myanmar’s election has been dismissed by Western governments as a sham to entrench the generals’ power and is expected to be dominated by proxies of the military, with opposition groups either barred from running or refusing to take part.
(Reporting by Danial Azhar; Editing by John Mair)
