ASEAN does not recognise Myanmar election

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CEBU, Jan 30, 2026 — ASEAN does not recognise the general election recently held in Myanmar, the Philippines’ foreign minister said on Friday, dealing a blow to the military-backed authorities’ bid for international legitimacy.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro said ASEAN had not recognised the vote, which was the first nationwide election since Myanmar’s military seized power in a 2021 coup.

“Yes, at this time ASEAN does not recognise the election in Myanmar,” Lazaro told reporters, adding that the regional bloc also did not recognise what she described as the third phase of the electoral process carried out by the junta.

The refusal underscores ASEAN’s continued rejection of Myanmar’s military government, which ousted the elected administration of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 and plunged the country into a prolonged civil conflict.

Lazaro made the remarks after chairing a closed-door meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers in Cebu on Thursday, as the Philippines assumes the bloc’s rotating chairmanship for 2026.

She did not specify what conditions, if any, could lead ASEAN to change its position on recognising the election.