Myanmar remains engulfed in a brutal political crisis since the military coup of February 2021, which upended its fragile democratic transition and plunged the country into widespread violence, repression, and chaos. In 2025, amidst continued civil conflict, the military junta led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing announced plans to hold general elections starting December 28, 2025. These elections, however, are widely condemned globally as a sham designed to legitimize the junta’s control, while the regime escalates brutal crackdowns on political prisoners and dissenting voices.
Unrelenting Repression and Human Rights Violations
The political repression in Myanmar since the coup has been systematic and severe, targeting political opponents, activists, journalists, and ethnic minorities. Current figures from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) report that as of August 2025, over 22,300 political prisoners remain detained. Many are imprisoned on fabricated charges including terrorism, sedition, and incitement to violence, with nearly half—around 11,000—serving sentences.
The conditions of detention are dire. Torture and ill-treatment are pervasive, used to extract confessions and suppress political opposition. A disturbing number of detainees, including prominent human rights defenders and former elected officials, have died in custody from maltreatment and neglect. Even children as young as two years old are caught in the net, held as substitutes for their incarcerated parents.
Human Rights Watch has documented numerous instances of physical abuse, denial of medical treatment, and psychological torture. Despite intensified international condemnation, the military has not relented. On the contrary, new measures impose harsher penalties; protesting the forthcoming election is met with the threat of death sentences, creating an atmosphere of fear aimed at crushing dissent and silencing independent media.
The Junta’s Announcement of Sham Elections
In an apparent effort to cloak its authoritarian rule with democratic legitimacy, Myanmar’s junta announced the date for its long-anticipated general elections, set to begin on December 28, 2025, and continue in phases through January 2026. The Union Election Commission, appointed by the junta, oversees this process.
The electoral landscape is heavily skewed. Over 330 townships serve as constituencies, but many are under opposition or ethnic armed groups’ control, making credible voting impossible in large swaths of the country. Nearly 60 political parties, mostly loyal to the junta or military interests, have registered, while key democratic forces such as the National League for Democracy (NLD)—the party ousted in the 2021 coup—and allied groups remain banned or dissolved.
The parliamentary election laws enacted by the military further entrench its advantage. Electoral rules exclude individuals with criminal convictions (commonly charged for political dissent), block credible opposition participation, and guarantee the military 25% of parliamentary seats, effectively cementing its control regardless of public vote outcomes.
Domestic and International Responses
The announced elections have been widely repudiated by democratic governments, regional bodies, and human rights organizations.
UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews warned the international community not to legitimize what he called “a mirage of an exercise” that will deepen Myanmar’s crisis. The elections, he asserts, lack credibility given the ongoing conflict and widespread suppression.
Human Rights Watch condemned the elections as a farce underpinned by systemic violence, demanding the junta release political prisoners and end attacks on journalists and civilians. Women’s rights leader Mi Kun Chan Non called the election “a sham… lacking inclusivity and legitimacy”, underscoring the exclusion of women and minorities from political participation.
Moreover, ASEAN’s official stance has been muted but pointed: the regional grouping declared the elections “not a priority” for stabilizing Myanmar or aiding peace, reflecting frustration with the junta’s manipulative tactics.
Many countries, including Japan and Malaysia, have expressed concern and urged genuine political dialogue and ceasefire agreements to precede any elections. The European Union and United States have maintained sanctions aimed at isolating the military regime.
Conflict and Instability on the Ground
Myanmar’s junta does not control the entire country. Ethnic armed organizations and the People’s Defense Forces—antimilitary militias—control substantial territories, perpetuating civil war conditions.
The security situation complicates electoral logistics immensely. In 2024, a nationwide census intended for voter registration was completed in only 145 of the 330 townships. Many areas remain inaccessible due to ongoing armed conflict and junta restrictions.
The humanitarian toll from the conflict is staggering. Widespread reports detail indiscriminate bombardment of civilian areas, including schools and healthcare facilities, further displacing already vulnerable populations. Extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances continue regularly. This level of violence raises serious doubts about the feasibility or morality of holding elections as the country remains in active war.
The Junta’s Calculated Use of Elections for Legitimacy
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing’s move to hold elections is viewed by analysts primarily as a strategic maneuver to manufacture political legitimacy both domestically and internationally while retaining maximum military power.
By limiting credible political competition and subverting the media landscape, the junta aims to orchestrate an electoral outcome that replicates or enhances its authority. The elections serve as a façade to mask ongoing authoritarian governance, human rights abuses, and violent suppression of dissent.
The regime’s carefully crafted legal and procedural frameworks that restrict participation are meant to derail any real democratic contest, ensuring continued military dominance.
A Crisis Deepened by Sham Democracy and Brutal Repression
Myanmar remains trapped in a profound crisis where violence, repression, and political manipulation coexist. The military junta’s sham elections announced for late 2025 will neither end the conflict nor restore democracy. Instead, they are set to entrench military rule and deepen suffering.
The international community faces stark challenges: to hold the junta accountable, support the release of political prisoners, amplify the voices of the Myanmar people seeking freedom, and promote genuine peace and reconciliation.
Without cessation of violence and authentic political inclusion, these elections will remain a hollow exercise – a chapter in Myanmar’s ongoing tragedy.
