Myanmar's Military Government Announces Plans for Elections in Late 2025 or Early 2026
Myanmar's military leadership has announced plans to hold a national election in December 2025 or January 2026, marking the first vote since the junta seized power in a 2021 coup.
General Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the military government, declared that the elections would be "free and fair," adding that 53 political parties have already submitted their participation lists. However, critics view the announcement with skepticism, questioning the legitimacy of any vote held under the junta’s rule.
The 2021 coup saw the arrest and imprisonment of democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, with the military making unverified claims of fraud in the previous year's elections. Since then, Myanmar has been in a state of turmoil, as mass protests against the coup escalated into a nationwide armed resistance.
Opponents of the military regime argue that the planned elections are a mere facade designed to solidify the junta's control through proxy parties. Human Rights Watch told the BBC that any election under the current conditions would lack credibility, stating:
"As a precursor to elections, they need to end the violence, release all those arbitrarily detained, and allow all political parties to register and participate instead of dissolving opposition parties."
Since taking power, the military junta has cracked down harshly on dissent, executing democracy activists, imprisoning journalists, and violently suppressing protests. Despite its efforts, the regime has struggled to maintain control beyond major cities, as armed resistance continues from both pro-democracy groups and ethnic rebel factions.
The human toll of the conflict has been severe. According to the UN and the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), at least 6,231 civilians—including 1,144 women and 709 children—have been killed by the military over the past four years. In September, the UN warned that Myanmar was "sinking into an abyss of human suffering."
As the junta moves forward with its election plans, the question remains: Can a truly democratic process take place under military rule, or is this simply an effort to legitimize their grip on power?
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