The bloc says that any poll must be “inclusive,” but it has limited power to deter the junta from its election plans.

After three years of failed diplomacy, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has upped the ante and warned the military junta in Myanmar to end the civil war and allow the free flow of much-needed humanitarian aid.

Southeast Asian nations told Myanmar's military government on Sunday its plan to hold an election amid an escalating civil war should not be its priority, urging the junta to start dialogue and end hostilities immediately.

The regional bloc told a junta representative at a meeting that a poll is “not a priority at the moment," Malaysia’s foreign minister said.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since 2021 when its military overthrew the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

ASEAN has urged Myanmar's military government to prioritize ceasing hostilities and initiating dialogue over organizing elections amid ongoing civil war. Malaysia's foreign minister emphasized the need for unrestricted humanitarian access and stressed adherence to ASEAN's peace plan.