Myanmar's Military Government Plans Elections Amid Ongoing Turmoil

General Min Aung Hlaing announced that Myanmar will conduct its first elections since the 2021 coup, but critics label the move a ploy to strengthen military rule amid rampant violence and dissent.

Myanmar's military government has officially declared its intention to hold national elections between December 2025 and January 2026. General Min Aung Hlaing, in a recent statement, asserted that the upcoming elections would be conducted "free and fair," noting that 53 political parties have already submitted their applications to participate. This development marks the first electoral exercise since the military seized control in a coup in 2021, which removed democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and raised unverified allegations of electoral fraud from the previous vote.

Since the coup, Myanmar has been gripped by chaos as a mass protest movement morphed into a widespread armed rebellion against the junta. Critics argue the elections are nothing more than a facade aimed at legitimizing the military's grip on power through the use of proxy political entities. Organizations like Human Rights Watch have stated, "The junta is delusional if they think an election under the current circumstances will be considered remotely credible." They urge the military regime to halt violence, release political detainees, and allow true political participation instead of suppressing opposition parties.

Since taking power, the junta has employed brutal measures to squash dissent, including executing democracy activists and jailing journalists. Yet, they continue to face an extensive insurgency led by pro-democracy forces and ethnic rebel groups, indicating diminished oversight beyond urban centers. According to the United Nations, as reported by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), nearly 6,231 civilians, including 1,144 women and 709 children, have reportedly died at the hands of military forces over the past four years. The UN has expressed alarm at the deteriorating situation, claiming Myanmar is "sinking into an abyss of human suffering."