On 28 March, the military-appointed Union Election Commission of Myanmar decided to dissolve forty political parties, including the National League for Democracy, citing their lack of registration with the military regime under its ‘Political Parties Registration Law.’

These include those parties who won the votes of the vast majority of Myanmar’s citizens in the election on 8 November 2020. Yet many of their political leaders have been arrested following the military coup and remain in prison.

This decision is yet another demonstration of the blatant disrespect by the military regime for democracy and the rights and wishes of the Myanmar population, and demonstrates the military regime’s determination to eradicate any democratic and peaceful opposition to its rule.

Only an inclusive political process involving democratic political parties, civil society, religious and minority leaders, ethnic groups, the National Unity Government, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the National Unity Consultative Council and all other relevant stakeholders in Myanmar can lead the way out of the protracted crisis in the country and pave the way for a meaningful democratic process that would truly reflect the will of the Myanmar people and thus contribute to internal reconciliation and stability.

The European Union reiterates its strong support for ASEAN’s efforts in finding a peaceful solution to the current conflict and urges progress on its November 2022 review of the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus. This becomes ever more urgent in light of the increasing number of reports of the atrocities being committed by the military on a daily basis across Myanmar.

The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina¹, the potential candidate country Georgia, the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Armenia align themselves with this statement.

Press contacts

Nabila Massrali

Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

+32 2 29 88093

+32 460 79 52 44

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