Myanmar Conducts Phased National Election Amid Conflict and International Criticism
Myanmar is conducting a phased national election over the course of a month, with voting taking place in 265 of 330 townships. Parts of the country are not expected to vote due to an ongoing civil war. The election results are anticipated around the end of January. However, the poll has been widely dismissed as a sham. Major parties have been dissolved or banned, including the National League for Democracy (NLD). Only six parties are contesting nationwide, with 51 parties or independents participating at the state and regional levels. Around 40 parties, including the NLD, remain banned.
More than 200 people have been charged under a new law against disrupting the polls, carrying severe penalties including the death sentence. Violence has surrounded the polling process, including a rocket attack in Mandalay that injured at least one person, and explosions in Myawaddy where a child was reportedly killed and houses damaged.
Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing asserted the election would be free and fair, describing it as occurring in three phases, and he himself voted in Nay Pyi Taw. However, Western governments have dismissed the vote as a sham, while the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) urged political dialogue before any election. The United Nations rights chief, Volker Türk, condemned rights restrictions amid coercion threats from armed groups.
The military has been engaged in fighting on multiple fronts against rebels and ethnic armies, regaining some territory this year with airstrikes supported by China and Russia. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. The conflict has killed thousands, displaced millions, damaged the economy, and created a humanitarian vacuum. Adding to the crisis, the country was also hit by a devastating earthquake in March and now faces international funding cuts.
