Australia has said it is "seriously concerned about the further narrowing of political space in Myanmar" after Aung San Suu Kyi's political party and 39 others were dissolved by the military junta.
Myanmar's military, also called the Tatmadaw, announced that 40 parties were automatically disbanded for failing to sign up under the new Political Party Registration law requirements by Tuesday's deadline.
That included Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which swept to a decisive victory in 2020 just months prior to the military takeover.
"Many parties who previously participated in the political process in Myanmar, including the National League for Democracy, are no longer registered," a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) statement said.
"Any political process in Myanmar that excludes participation by a broad range of stakeholders will not lead to a genuinely representative outcome, and risks further violence and instability.
"We urge the regime to ensure all stakeholders can participate in Myanmar's democratic future, and that all voices can be heard."
The South-East Asian nation has been in the grip of a humanitarian crisis since the military seized power in a coup in February 2021.
More than 3,100 have been killed, more than 20,000 have been arrested, and more than 1 million people have been displaced.
The junta also detained Australian economist Sean Turnell, an advisor to Ms Suu Kyi, for 650 days in prison, accusing him of violating the Official Secrets Act.
He was convicted in a closed court but pardoned and released in November last year, but the junta revoked his amnesty after he was outspoken about the dire situation in the country under the regime.
Australia imposed its first economic sanctions since the takeover on the second anniversary of the coup this year.
The coup sparked dozens of resistance groups opposed to military rule, and junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in a rare speech said the military would not let up in their crackdown.
International Crisis Group has said the military paving the way for stage-managed elections will trigger escalated violence, and that the regime would use the polls as a pretext for intensifying its counter-insurgency operations.
They added the election would not be credible. A date has not yet been set for the poll.
"The Myanmar regime is preparing for national elections that, if imposed by force, are likely to be the bloodiest in the country’s recent history," International Crisis Group's Richard Horsey said.
"The majority of the population fiercely oppose going to the polls to legitimise the military's political control, so we will see violence ratchet up if the regime seeks to impose a vote, and resistance groups seek to disrupt them.
"To prevent this escalation, western and regional actors must send a concerted message that polls are illegitimate, and withhold electoral support; while the parallel National Unity Government should unambiguously oppose resistance attacks on electoral targets."
The DFAT statement said Australia would continue to "closely monitor the regime's actions, and call for the restoration of democracy including credible elections".
"The people of Myanmar continue to show their courage and commitment to a democratic country in the face of increasing repression and violence by the regime."
Myanmar's embassy in Canberra has been approached for comment.
ABC/Reuters
