Myanmar Situation Update (25 April – 1 May 2022)

A Myanmar junta court convicted the former state counselor Aung San Suu Kyi for corruption and sentenced her to five years in prison. The European Union condemned the sentencing as “politically motivated” and “another step to dismantle the rule of law”. Aung San Suu Kyi had been sentenced to six years in

Myanmar Situation Update (18-24 April 2022)

Myanmar military junta chief Min Aung Hlaing offered to meet with leaders of ethnic armed groups in person. He said through a brief broadcast from state-owned television that “2022 is the year of peace and that we will work for an end to all armed conflict”. The offer was not extended to

ANFREL Launches International Election Observation Mission to the 2022 Philippine National and Local Elections

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) launched today, 23 April 2022, its international election observation mission to the 2022 Philippine national and local elections with the deployment of six long-term observers and two electoral analysts. An additional four observers are expected to join the mission next week. ANFREL observers will be

Myanmar Situation Update (11-17 April 2022)

The Myanmar military junta granted amnesty to 1,619 prisoners, including 42 foreigners, and announced their release to mark Myanmar's new year. It is unclear if political prisoners were included. According to media reports, no political protesters had been released so far from Insein Prison in Yangon. There was also no information about

Myanmar Situation Update (4-10 April 2022)

The National Unity Government of Myanmar (NUG) said it has successfully completed 1,128 attacks on military junta targets in Yangon over the past seven months. Since NUG declared its war against the military junta, it attacked 443 administrative and 587 military targets and 98 military-owned businesses, killing 253 and injuring nearly 300.

Myanmar Situation Update (28 March – 3 April 2022)

UN special envoy for Myanmar Noleen Heyzer met with the Cambodian prime minister and the current chairman of ASEAN Hun Sen and the ASEAN special envoy for Myanmar Prak Sokhonn. She said that she had initiated a “multi-exit framework based on a three-layered circle”, including its first layer of “center of the

ANFREL Newsletter (January-March 2022)

In the first quarter of 2022, the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) released reports of its observation of the local elections in Thailand and the presidential election in Timor-Leste. The 2021 Thai Tambon Administrative Organization (TAO) elections, ANFREL found, were more genuine and democratic in nature than the 2019 general election.

ANFREL Hong Kong Electoral Changes Assessment Report Launch & ‘Revolution of Our Times’ Documentary Screening

Update 7 April 2022, 12 noon: The registration is full. Walk-ins are not available due to limited seats available. The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) cordially invites you to the launch of its Hong Kong electoral changes assessment report and the screening of the "Revolution of Our Times" documentary. The details

Myanmar Situation Update (21-27 March 2022)

The ASEAN envoy to Myanmar completed his three-day in Myanmar failing to meet key political figures and groups including ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, election preparations have been put on hold citing the current political situation, and the US has determined that the Myanmar military committed genocide against Rohingya.  Here

Myanmar Situation Update (14-20 March 2022)

The ASEAN Envoy to Myanmar and Cambodia's foreign minister Prak Sokhonn arrived in Naypyitaw on 21 March 2022 to facilitate the peacemaking and implementation of the five-point consensus that the junta leaders and the ASEAN heads of the governments have reached in April 2021. The five-point consensus includes immediate cessation of violence,

Photos: Election Day in Timor-Leste

It's election day in Timor-Leste! As 859,613 registered voters are invited to cast their votes to choose the next President of the Republic, five international observers from ANFREL are monitoring the opening, polling, and counting processes at polling stations in the municipalities of Ainaro, Baucau, Covalima, and Dili. Here are selected pictures

Myanmar Situation Update (7-13 March 2022)

The hearing of alleged election fraud in 2020 Myanmar general election took place on 11 March 2022 in Naypyitaw at junta courts that the deputy director-general of the junta-appointed Union Election Commission (UEC) has been questioned by the defense lawyers during cross-examination. Media reported that there are 22 witnesses for the prosecution

Photos: ANFREL observes 2022 Timor-Leste Presidential Elections

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is in Timor-Leste to monitor the first round of the country's presidential election, which will take place on 19 March. Five international observers are deployed across the country to observe the election campaign, Election Day proceedings, tabulation of votes, and announcement of results. Our observers

Snapshot: ANFREL Southeast Asia Media Fellowship on Election Reporting

The pilot ANFREL Southeast Asia Media Fellowship on Election Reporting recently concluded helping train six journalists from different countries in the region as well as develop and produce compelling stories that reflect and amplify the issues and challenges that electoral stakeholders face. Launched in August 2021 thanks to the generous support of

Myanmar’s junta switch to PR system beneficial only to them

First published on Burma Associated Press on 11 March 2022, "Myanmar’s junta switch to PR system beneficial only to them" was produced under the ANFREL Southeast Asia Media Fellowship on Election Reporting. The Myanmar military regime’s plan to switch to a proportional representation system for their planned election next year will not

Monthly Brief on Countries under Restrictive Environment – Series #11: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong & Myanmar (February 2022)

This monthly brief intends to provide an update on democracy and election-related issues in selected countries and territories under a restrictive environment. Download here: Monthly Brief on Countries under Restrictive Environment - Series #11: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong & Myanmar (February 2022)

More young people in Myanmar taking up arms

First published on the Bangkok Post on 28 February 2022, "More young people in Myanmar taking up arms" was produced under the ANFREL Southeast Asia Media Fellowship on Election Reporting. Young people in Mon State who not long ago were actively engaged in campaigning for elections in Myanmar have shifted from protesting

Thailand: Why do we have so few women in Parliament?

First published on workpointTODAY on 17 February 2022, "Thailand: Why do we have so few women in Parliament?" was produced under the ANFREL Southeast Asia Media Fellowship on Election Reporting. By Wasinee Pabuprapap Women have held leadership positions in different sectors of society in Thailand, even in public office but they remain

Elections during COVID-19: Reforms can cure ailing democracy

First published on Malaysiakini on 30 January 2022, "Elections during COVID-19: Reforms can cure ailing democracy" was produced under the ANFREL Southeast Asia Media Fellowship on Election Reporting. By Ng Xiang Yi The poor voter turnout in the Malacca (65.85 percent) and Sarawak (60.67 percent) state elections last year amid the Covid-19

Vietnam’s Festival of the People celebrates electoral failures

First published on Southeast Asia Globe on 2 December 2021, "Vietnam’s Festival of the People celebrates electoral failures" was produced under the ANFREL Southeast Asia Media Fellowship on Election Reporting. Trinh and her husband went to his family’s house in Hanoi’s Thanh Xuân district, where they lived before moving to a new

Myanmar Situation Update ( 14 – 20 February 2022)

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) conducted the annual foreign ministers meeting on 16-17 February 2021 without the participation of Myanmar as ASEAN denied junta’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin joining the meeting in Phnom Penh. The decision not to invite Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin also reflected a disagreement within

Statement: ANFREL dismayed by prolonged democracy score decline in Asia; raises concerns about Democracy Index methodology  

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is dismayed by the continuous retreat of democracy in Asia, as measured by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)’s latest Democracy Index. The overall regional average score for Asia and Australasia peaked at 5.74 in 2016, and has continuously declined since 2019 from 5.67 to 5.62

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