TheMilitary Coupin Myanmar: Elected Sham or True Democracy?
The recent announcement by Myanmar’s military junta on plans to hold elections in December 2025 or January 2026 has drawn widespread criticism. The move is seen as a “sham” that risks escalating the ongoing violence in the country. Ever since the military took over in a 2021 coup, an armed resistance has emerged, and this has plunged Myanmar into conflict.
China, known to be a close ally of Myanmar’s military and a protector of its economic interests, has expressed support for the election plans. However, most Western countries and election monitoring organizations are extremely unlikely to regard the vote as credible.
The reality is that most opposition parties are either banned from participating in the elections or have chosen to boycott them. Additionally, almost 22,000 political prisoners remain in detention, including Aung San Suu Kyi, the deposed leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which was dissolved for not re-registering under post-coup electoral laws.
Given that a significant part of the country is now controlled by opposition groups fighting the junta, it remains uncertain how the military plans to conduct the elections. In fact, the junta has only been able to conduct a full census in around half (145) of the country’s 330 townships to establish voter registration.
According to a BBC-commissioned study, the military now controls just 21% of Myanmar’s territory, though it still holds the key cities. Bryony Lau, the deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, calls for international condemnation of the junta’s election plan and refuting it with technical support. According to Analysts, it is likely that the military will resort to further violence to ensure polling takes place in areas under its control.
Human rights organizations have emphasized the fear and violence associated with the election preparations and called on Western democracies to unequivocally denounce the junta’s plans. A joint statement by election experts urged the world to reject Myanmar’s junta’s election plans, noting that it would cause more conflict, deepen divisions, and exacerbate the crisis caused by the military coup.
Speaking at a meeting with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, the junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, confirmed the election plans, even as he extended a state of emergency. However, the reality on the ground and the junta’s disregard for fair and free elections suggest that these promises may not be fulfilled.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/10/myanmar-juntas-promise-of-elections-denounced-as-sham-by-experts
