‘Grave concern’: Albanese government issues stark warning head of Myanmar election

The Australian government has expressed “grave concern” upcoming elections in Myanmar will only plunge the country further into chaos after four years of civil war.

More than 60,000 people have been killed in fighting since Myanmar’s military junta deposed the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021.

The Albanese government joined the United Nations on Wednesday in expressing concern elections slated for December 28 would only lead to more instability.

“Australia has consistently maintained that a genuine path to peace requires an end to violence, the release of all those unjustly detained and inclusive dialogue among all Myanmar stakeholders,” the government said in a statement.

“We are seriously concerned that elections held without these conditions will lead to greater instability and prevent a peaceful resolution to the ongoing crisis, with grave consequences for the people of Myanmar.

“The current situation in Myanmar falls short of what is needed for free, fair and inclusive elections.”

The government condemned what it said was “widespread human rights abuses and violations by the Myanmar military regime”, and remained concerned by the military's ongoing attacks against civilians, including air strikes.

“We also note with concern credible reports of violence and abuses committed by other armed actors,” the government said.

“Our commitment to universal human rights reflects our national values.

“Australia will continue to stand with the people of Myanmar, who have demonstrated great resilience and bravery in the face of adversity.”

The Australian government has backed ASEAN it is efforts to resolve the conflict and called on the regime to fulfil its commitments under the Five-Point Consensus and to engage meaningfully with ASEAN representatives including the ASEAN Chair’s Special Envoy.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is one of Southeast Asia’s poorest and most fractious countries.

The army, or Tatmadaw, had already fought successive wars against ethnic armed militias before the 2021 coup, including in northern Arakan from which more than one million Rohingya Muslim refugees have fled to Bangladesh since 2017.

In recent years, the army has predominantly fought the Three Brothers Alliance, an alliance of largely ethnic resistance groups.

A 2024 investigation by the BBC found the military junta controlled only 21 per cent of Myanmar.

The country is notionally governed by Khin Yi, a close ally of military ruler Min Aung Hlaing, following the ouster of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, who remains imprisoned.

In October, UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews said the international community should “unequivocally reject and denounce the charade” of the junta’s planned elections.

About 25 per cent of seats in the Burmese parliament are reserved for military personnel under a 2008 agreement that partially ended decades of authoritarian rule.

The junta have claimed to have pardoned about 4000 prisoners ahead of the ballot.