Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) declared on 7 September a people’s “defensive war” against the junta, calling on all citizens to “revolt against the rule of military terrorists led by coup leader Min Aung Hlaing in every corner of the country” and declared all of Myanmar to be under a state of
ASEAN's special envoy to Myanmar is in talks with the junta for his trip to Myanmar and seeking access to ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. He has proposed a 4-month ceasefire by all sides to enable the smooth delivery of the first batch of humanitarian assistance to the country. The National
The following is the August issue of ANFREL's Monthly Brief on Countries under Restrictive Environment that covers democracy and civil and political rights issues in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Hong Kong. Download here: Monthly Brief on Countries under Restrictive Environment - Series #5 (August 2021)
The undersigned organizations express their concern about the rapidly unfolding developments occurring in Afghanistan, including the entrance of Taliban troops in the capital Kabul on 15 August in violation of their February 2020 agreement with the government of the United States of America, the exile of President Ashraf Ghani, and growing numbers
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), the leading election monitoring group in Asia, is proud to launch its pilot media fellowship on election reporting for Southeast Asian journalists. The fellowship program seeks to equip journalists from independent news outlets and freelance journalists in empowering the electorate through crucial reporting of underrepresented
ANFREL member Transparency Maldives is calling for abstract submissions for the first issue of their new digest. Scheduled to be published in September 2021, the issue will be on "drivers and social problems that increase the vulnerabilities, especially of young people, and make them more susceptible to violent extremism and radicalization." Submissions
Seventeen international human rights organizations today denounced the Thai government’s newly announced Regulation No. 29, which empowers the authorities to censor online expression, and investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for communications that may “instigate fear”. The Regulation is the government’s latest attack on the right to freedom of expression and information in
The Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, staged a military coup on 1 February 2021, just before the new parliament elected through the 2020 General Elections was to convene. The coup triggered mass nationwide protests and a civil disobedience movement, causing over 900 people being killed and thousands being detained to date. On the
The largest gathering of electoral stakeholders in Asia is going online. The Asian Electoral Stakeholder Forum 5 (AESF 5), co-hosted by the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and the Association of World Election Bodies (AWEB), will take place on 20-21 October 2021. AESF brings together key electoral stakeholders in Asia and
ANFREL started publishing the monthly brief on the countries under a restrictive environment in April 2021 to provide an insight into the human rights and democracy situation in these countries. This brief covers issues related to elections and civil and political rights in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Hong Kong. Download here: Monthly
Today, in advance of the fifth anniversary of the unlawful killing of prominent political commentator and human rights defender Kem Ley, the 45 undersigned organizations reiterate their call for the Cambodian authorities to create an independent Commission of Inquiry tasked with conducting an independent, impartial and effective investigation into Kem Ley’s death.
ANFREL continues its efforts to support the people of Myanmar in their struggle for the restoration of democracy in Myanmar amid the seizure of power from the civilian government by the military in February 2021. On 17 May 2021, ANFREL released the final comprehensive report of their international election observation mission to
ANFREL published its June issue of the monthly brief on the countries under a restrictive environment. As usual, the brief covers issues related to elections and civil and political rights in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar and Hong Kong in the past month. Download here: Monthly Brief on Countries under Restrictive Environment - Series #3 (June
Rights Groups Call for Decisive Action on International Day for Victims The Bangladesh government has failed to address widespread allegations of torture and ill-treatment by its security forces, ten rights groups said on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The groups called on the United Nations and concerned governments
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is hosting a webinar about inclusive political dialogue for a new Myanmar on 22 June 2021, at 5:30 p.m. (Bangkok time). From the protest actions in different parts of the country, the people of Myanmar are trying to regain freedom through their continuous resistance. Several
As the situation in Myanmar becomes more violent, the international community needs to intervene and help restore democracy in the country or things will get worse, ANFREL program officer Tharindu Abeyrathna said in a new online show GNDEM Talk hosted by Ukraine-based group Civil Network OPORA. The show puts a spotlight on
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) hosted a session in the 2021 Gwangju Democracy Forum about “Democracy under Restrictive Environment” on 19 May 2021. The session discussed the state of democracy, challenges and threats in the Asian countries that saw democratic regression in Hong Kong, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. Panelists of
One hundred days after the coup, the junta has pushed the region’s fastest-growing economy into an economic and humanitarian disaster. The World Bank forecast shows that Myanmar's economy is expected to contract by 10% in 2021, a sharp difference from the previous prediction of 5.9% growth in October 2020. There is a
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) released the final comprehensive report of its international election observation mission to the 2020 Myanmar General Elections on 17 May 2021. The 2020 Myanmar polls encountered several challenges including restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the observed shortcomings, the outcome of the elections were deemed
*UPDATE: The preregistration form is now closed. Please visit the Gwangju Democracy Forum website to know more how you can participate in the session. The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is hosting the session “Democracy under Restrictive Environment” in the 2021 Gwangju Democracy Forum (GDF) on 19 May 2021, 10 a.m.
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is launching the final comprehensive report of its international election observation mission to the 2020 Myanmar General Elections, on 17 May 2021 at 10 a.m. (Bangkok time). Considered only the second democratic elections, Myanmar held general elections on 8 November 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pro-democracy protests continued across the country in different townships despite the continuing lethal attacks by the junta forces and arrested of protests and the youth. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) figures showed that as of 9 May, 780 people have been killed by the junta, 3,826 are currently under
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) released its new book on the media’s reporting of elections in Asia on World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2021 through an online discussion forum. The book “Media Reporting of Elections in Asia: Issues, Challenges and Lessons” gathers the experience of journalists in Cambodia, Hong
Phnom Penh, 3 May 2021 - On the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, we - the undersigned non-governmental organizations – recall that freedom of expression includes the right to a free and independent media as well as the rights to hold opinions and to seek, receive or impart information and
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is hosting an online discussion to launch its new book about the media’s reporting of elections in Asia on World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2021 at 3 p.m. (Bangkok time). Titled “Media Reporting of Elections in Asia: Issues, Challenges and Lessons”, the book gathers
Many Asian countries, especially in South and Southeast Asia, saw democratic regressions in the pastyear. The governments took advantage of the global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic tofurther tighten the restraints on civil liberties and crackdown on dissenters and political opponents. Asa democracy advocate, ANFREL will start publishing the monthly
ANFREL, Asia Democracy Network (ADN) and the Migrant Forum in Asia are holding a stakeholders' strategic conversation on migrant workers' franchise rights on 22 April 2021, at 2-4 p.m. (Manila time) via online meeting platform Zoom. Invited panelists are Ellene Sana, executive director of Center for Migrant Advocacy in the Philippines, Wahyu
The first quarter of 2021 saw Myanmar's return to military rule with the Tatmadaw's staging of a coup which seized power from the civilian government on 1 February 2021. The Tatmadaw refused to recognize the legitimacy of the 2020 Myanmar General Elections and insisted on their election fraud allegations. The Asian Network
Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) have made a joint submission to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Thailand that will take place in October 2021. The submission was done based on ANFREL's findings in its international election observation mission to the 2019 Thai general
Described as a “fight to death” between a kobra and a mongoose, the struggle to topple the military junta and restore democracy in Myanmar have been relentless as people from different walks of life stage peaceful protest actions around the country. The military junta, however, has responded to the peaceful protests with
