Dhaka, Oct. 24 -- Governments attending upcoming regional summits in Malaysia should reject the Myanmar military junta's plans to hold "elections" in December 2025, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to all countries sending delegates.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and ASEAN partner Summits will take place in Kuala Lumpur on October 26-28, with the Myanmar crisis on the agenda.

The Myanmar junta has continued its repression of pro-democracy forces, carrying out arbitrary arrests, torture, and abusive conscription, and increased military attacks on civilians, said the New York-based rights body.

The junta has intensified its crackdown ahead of the planned elections, which the authorities scheduled to begin December...