We, the undersigned organizations, call on the United Nations Security Council and UN member states to urgently institute a coordinated, global arms embargo on Myanmar in response to the February 1, 2021 military coup that has deprived the people of Myanmar of the right to democratically elect their government. Our concerns are
On 1 February, the armed forces of Myanmar (Tatmadaw), ostensibly acting on allegations of voter fraud in the general elections of 8 November 2020, detained numerous government officials, including State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint, and Union Election Commission (UEC) Chair U Hla Thein, as well as
Several domestic election observer groups, during a webinar that ANFREL hosted, urged the Union Election Commission (UEC) to provide more opportunities for election stakeholders to participate in the electoral process in Myanmar. ANFREL hosted a webinar about post-election findings of election observer groups in Myanmar on 25 January 2021. The ANFREL Webinar
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is hosting a webinar on 25 January 2021, Monday, at 4 p.m. (Yangon time) about the post-election observation findings of election observer groups in Myanmar. This is part of a series of webinars which aims to create public awareness on democratic elections and create a
The year 2020 has been quite a challenging year for many as the COVID-19 pandemic affected many aspects of everyday life. For this edition of ANFREL's newsletter e-Bulletin, we highlight our activities and programs not just for the last quarter of 2020 but our journey throughout the year. The Asian Network for
Several election observer groups during a webinar ANFREL hosted on 21 December 2020 said that while there have been observed changes in the electoral process, more reforms and improvements are still needed to sustain electoral democracy in Myanmar. The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) invited People's Alliance for Credible Election (PACE)
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is saddened by the passing of our dear friend Mohammad Yousuf Rasheed from Afghanistan. On the morning of 23 December, Rasheed was shot in Kabul by unidentified gunmen while he was commuting to his office. He was transported to a hospital where he passed away
Four observers teams of the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) were deployed in the provinces of Surin, Samut Prakan, Nakhon Pathom, and Nonthaburi to monitor the Thai provincial elections held on 20 December 2020. These were the first local elections conducted since the civilian government was toppled by a military coup
The elections in Thailand this Sunday, 20 December 2020, is an important democratic milestone since it'll be the first local elections to be held since the military-led coup took over the civilian government in 2014, panelists of ANFREL's webinar agreed. ANFREL organized a webinar on Tuesday, 15 December 2020, to discuss the
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is hosting a webinar about the Thai local elections looking into the opportunities and obstacles for decentralization in Thailand on Tuesday, 15 December 2020, at 4 p.m. (Bangkok Time). Local elections in Thailand are scheduled for 20 December 2020. ANFREL invited Dr. Orathai Kokpol, deputy
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is hosting a webinar on 21 December 2020, Monday at 4 p.m. (Yangon Time) about the findings of election observer groups in the recently concluded 2020 Myanmar General Elections. This is part of a series of webinars which aims to create public awareness on democratic
While the Election Day in Myanmar has been observed to be generally peaceful, a panel of local election observer groups agreed that certain measures need to be taken to improve the electoral process in the country. ANFREL invited New Myanmar Foundation (NMF) executive director Mya Nandar Thin, Phan Tee Eain – Creative
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is hosting a webinar on 1 December 2020, Tuesday at 4 p.m. (Yangon Time) about the findings of election observer groups in the recently concluded 2020 Myanmar General Elections. This is part of a series of webinars which aims to create public awareness on democratic
ANFREL wishes to congratulate the people of Myanmar, the Union Election Commission, and the hundreds of thousands of polling staff who made this electoral process a success despite difficult conditions. We further congratulate all election stakeholders, and in particular civil society organisations and the international community, for contributing to a vibrant election
Press Release Yangon, Myanmar 8 November 2020 As Myanmar, a country still in democratic transition, is set to hold its general elections on 8 November 2020, around 37 million registered voters are encouraged to stay the course and exercise their right to vote. The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) calls on
Press Release Yangon, Myanmar 29 October 2020 The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) formally launched its international election observation mission to the 2020 Myanmar General Elections with the deployment of 13 long-term observers (LTOs) on 26 October 2020. As the country is set to hold its general elections on 8 November
Domestic election observation groups said during ANFREL’s webinar that they face several challenges in observing the Myanmar polls that are being conducted amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the challenges are delays in the accreditation process of observers, difficulties in training and deploying observers, and uncertainties in the election process. Authorities have imposed
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is looking for students majoring in finance, accounting or related courses who are seeking internship opportunities. The Finance Intern will work with ANFREL's team in our head office in Bangkok, Thailand to support the finance and admin officers in keeping financial records and other related
The Asian Network for Free Elections is organizing a webinar on election observation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar on Monday, 19 October 2020, at 4 p.m. (Yangon Time).* With the continuous rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases in Myanmar, authorities have imposed restrictions to curb the further spread of the virus. Several
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) continues to engage various stakeholders in Asia, especially in Sri Lanka and Myanmar, during the third quarter of 2020. ANFREL released the report of its assessment of the 2020 Sri Lankan Parliamentary Election held on 5 August 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (The report can
Two students from Myanmar who are studying in Thailand have completed the ANFREL internship program. Nang Kham Mai and Hnin Set Win from the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies at Rangsit University spent two months with ANFREL and worked with the team for the Sri Lanka election assessment in August and
Elections during the COVID-19 pandemic can succeed when election stakeholders cooperate among each other, said panelists of the ANFREL webinar on COVID-19 and the 2020 General Elections in Myanmar. Mr. Kyaw Htin of the New Myanmar Foundation said stakeholders need to cooperate among each other and share information. He said transparency on
The Asian Network for Free Election (ANFREL) conducted a media observation training for the Myanmar Network Organization for Free and Fair Elections (MYNFREL) from 8 to 9 September 2020. The Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) shared their experience observing the media coverage of the 2015 General Elections and 2019 Presidential Election in
The Asian Network for Free Election (ANFREL) is organizing a webinar on COVID-19 and the General Election in Myanmar this Monday, 14 September 2020, at 4 p.m. (Yangon Time).* The 2020 Myanmar General Election is being conducted amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While some countries have postponed their scheduled elections this year due
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) released its assessment report of the 2020 Sri Lankan Parliamentary Elections providing insights on the conduct of elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 16,263,885 eligible voters were invited to cast their votes on 5 August 2020 for the parliamentary elections organized with certain
For Immediate Release (Dhaka, August 28, 2020) – Bangladesh security forces and law-enforcement agencies continuously commit enforced disappearances with impunity, targeting journalists, activists, and government critics, 12 human rights groups said today ahead of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. The groups remember the victims of enforced disappearances and
The media and its role to inform the public and scrutinize the electoral processes are important during elections, said a panel during the 8th Conference on Media Development in Myanmar, yesterday, 24 August 2020. The Asian Network for Free Elections - ANFREL was one of the panelists of the plenary session on
In the second part of the ANFREL Webinar Series, election monitoring groups in Myanmar encouraged voters to participate in the electoral process. Amid calls for "no vote", Daw Mya Nandar Thin of the New Myanmar Foundation (NMF) said democracy in Myanmar is very young and that the country is still under democratic
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) held the first cascade workshop on reporting elections for journalists in Myanmar from 13 to 15 August 2020, in Yangon. In partnership with the Myanmar Press Council, the three-day workshop allowed participants of ANFREL's Training of Trainers program for journalists on election reporting to share
See more photos here: "By-Election in Samut Prakan, Thailand" The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) observed a by-election in Thailand’s Samut Prakan province on 9 August 2020. It was the second time a by-election took place in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic, under the “new normal election” policy devised by
