Myanmar Elections Begin Amidst Junta Control and Widespread Condemnation
Polls closed in the first phase of Myanmar's general election, which has been widely condemned as a sham designed to legitimize the military junta. The vote is being conducted in three phases, with the second scheduled for 11 January and the final phase on 25 January.
The election campaign has been muted. The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), believed to be aligned with the junta, fields the most candidates and is expected to form the largest bloc. Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) is banned and its leaders remain detained.
Large areas of the country are excluded from voting due to control by anti-junta groups or ongoing fighting, resulting in low voter turnout in regions including Yangon.
The election has been condemned by Western governments, while China supports the vote and has sent observers along with Russia, India, and Vietnam. The military maintains the election is free and fair. Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing urged citizens to vote, stating that those who do not understand democracy refuse to participate.
United Nations officials have expressed serious concerns about the environment of violence and repression surrounding the vote. The UN rights office has highlighted displacement and threats linked to the election, with some officials describing the process as a 'theatre of the absurd' but warning it risks entrenching military rule.
The country remains embroiled in conflict and a worsening humanitarian crisis as airstrikes and fighting continue. Approximately half the population lives below the poverty line. New election laws penalize disruption or criticism of the vote, including sentences ranging from years in prison to the death penalty.
