REGIONAL ACCEPTANCE IN DOUBT
While some of Myanmar’s neighbours appear ready to accept the election outcome, others remain sceptical.
“China is preparing to accept this, India as well,” Robertson said. “But beyond those two major countries, many others are still on the fence.”
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – the regional bloc which Myanmar is a member of – remains divided, with countries such as Malaysia and the Philippines taking a more critical stance, he noted.
ASEAN has also not sent a formal election observer team, which reflects procedural constraints and a lack of consensus within the bloc, Lamb said.
“There is very little in the way of formal delegations,” he said, adding that even observers from Belarus, Russia and China are operating under tightly controlled arrangements.
“In some cases, they won’t see any irregularities because they won’t be allowed to. In some other cases, observers might well see irregularity, but they won’t be able to take it further.”
“That’s not a recipe for an independent observation,” he said.
Source: CNA
