Myanmar held the third and final round of its multiparty democratic general election on Sunday, with the military government saying the recognition of the people is what is needed, not the international community's stance. "The people's vote is the recognition we need," said Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who heads the current military government.

Myanmar’s military junta has billed the election as a return to democracy. International observers, however, have widely dismissed it as illegitimate.

Rebels and local media reports say that a military airstrike this week on a village in Myanmar sheltering displaced people from the northern township of Bhamo killed 21 people.

Current ASEAN chair the Philippines said it looked forward to further talks with opponents of Myanmar's ruling junta, and expected to engage more groups while

Myanmar's top general Min Aung Hlaing was months from retirement five years ago when he made an about-face, deposed the democratic government and promoted himself to leader.

Ko Ko Gyi, chairman of the People’s Party and a former 88 Generation Students leader, on Sunday morning cast his vote at a polling station in Yangon’s Lanmadaw Township, where he is running for a seat in the Lower House. When his party competed in the 2020 general election, it did not win a single seat.