Votes Amid Violence: Myanmar’s Military-Led Election Faces Global Criticism

Myanmar’s military rulers has announced it will begin general elections on 28 December 2025, in a process that has been widely condemned as illegitimate. This marks the first election since the 2021 coup, which saw the military overthrow the elected government, detain Aung San Suu Kyi, and push the country into a civil war.

Despite losing control of large parts of the country to ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy forces, the military insists the vote will proceed, threatening punishment for those who oppose or criticize it. A new law allows prison sentences as well as the death penalty for actions deemed to obstruct the election. Several young activists have already been arrested and charged under this law.

While 55 parties have registered to compete, only nine are running nationally, and the National League for Democracy (NLD), which won previous elections, has been banned. With martial law in dozens of townships and millions displaced or disenfranchised, observers say any election held under such conditions cannot be considered free or fair.

International organizations, including the UN and Human Rights Watch, have rejected the upcoming polls as a “sham” designed to give the junta a false sense of legitimacy. ASEAN efforts to engage have stalled, as the junta defies regional calls to prioritize peace over elections. Meanwhile, Myanmar remains in a deep humanitarian crisis worsened by ongoing conflict, natural disasters, and cuts in aid, leaving millions without access to basic services or representation.