ASIATODAY.ID, BANGKOK – The United Nations has issued a stark warning that Myanmar’s planned late-December elections risk plunging the country deeper into repression, instability, and widespread violence, rather than restoring even a semblance of democratic order.
According to UN human rights officials, the electoral process — scheduled to begin on 28 December — is unfolding under an atmosphere of fear, systematic intimidation, and military-engineered restrictions designed to sideline dissent and consolidate junta power.
UN human rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said the upcoming vote is essentially a military-controlled ballot rife with threats, violence, mass detentions, and the deliberate suppression of political participation.
More than 30,000 political opponents, including elected leaders, activists, and community representatives, have been detained since the 2021 military coup. Major parties have been completely excluded.
“Far from steering the country from crisis to stability, this election will deepen insecurity, fear, and political polarisation,” Laurence warned on November 28, 2025.
“Ending violence and ensuring humanitarian access must be the absolute priority.”
Civilians Trapped Between Military Coercion and Armed Resistance
From Bangkok, James Rodehaver, head of OHCHR’s Myanmar team, described a population caught in a dangerous crossfire:
The military is coercing civilians to vote, while
Armed opposition groups are pressuring them not to participate.
The junta claims it has issued 4,000 pardons for individuals charged with sedition or incitement. But Rodehaver said the numbers don’t add up: only around 550 people have actually been seen leaving detention facilities — and some were swiftly rearrested.
Meanwhile, the military has arrested over 100 people under new “election protection rules,” and at least three young people were sentenced to 49 years in prison simply for hanging posters depicting a ballot box with a bullet.
AI Surveillance and Electronic-Only Voting Raise Alarm
The shift to an electronic-only voting system, combined with expanded use of AI-powered surveillance and biometric tracking, has triggered serious concerns about voter privacy, manipulation, and the credibility of the results.
Humanitarian access is deteriorating as civilians are forced to return to unsafe areas to vote, while the military continues blocking aid to conflict-affected communities. Nearly 23,000 people remain wrongfully detained, Rodehaver added.
This comes as the junta promotes the election as proof the crisis is cooling — a claim sharply contradicted by the UN Secretary-General, who warned any vote held under current conditions “risks further exclusion and instability.”
Independent Expert: ‘This Is a Charade’
Independent UN expert Tom Andrews delivered an even more cutting assessment in his latest report to the General Assembly.
He urged the international community to “unequivocally reject and denounce the charade” of the junta’s election plan.
He warned that:
Institutional reforms touted by the junta are merely cosmetic,
Power remains tightly held by military elites, and
Key opposition figures, including Aung San Suu Kyi, remain imprisoned.
The regime has also dissolved at least 40 political parties, including the National League for Democracy (NLD). Newly imposed electoral laws criminalise dissent, restrict digital speech, and impose harsh penalties for so-called “election disruption.”
Much of Myanmar’s territory also remains outside junta control, making a nationwide election logistically impossible.
“Elections under junta terms will only deepen division and fuel further violence,” Andrews said, adding that while the people of Myanmar will likely reject the results as illegitimate, the military’s true goal is international recognition. (AT Network)
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