The Philippine foreign secretary says the Association of Southeast Asian Nations does not recognize the recently held elections in Myanmar, the first since the army seized power in 2021. ASEAN’s non-recognition of the elections in Myanmar, which a military-backed party claimed to have won, is a major blow to efforts by the country’s military rulers to gain international recognition. Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro spoke in a news conference Thursday after hosting an annual meeting with her ASEAN counterparts. The regional bloc, whose 11 members include Myanmar, has refused to recognize the military-ruled government since the army forcibly wrested power from Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in 2021.
