Myanmar Junta Plans 2025 General Election Amidst Opposition and Control Measures
The Myanmar military junta is preparing to hold a three-phase general election on 28 December 2025, marking the first vote since the 2021 coup. The election is aimed at legitimising the junta's prolonged grip on power, despite widespread opposition regarding the credibility of the poll.
Most credible opposition forces have been dissolved ahead of the election. Approximately 57% of the parties that contested the 2020 election no longer exist. Only six parties will contest nationwide, dominated by the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, which often goes uncontested in many constituencies.
A significant part of Myanmar’s territory is excluded from voting: 56 out of 330 townships have no election, and about 3,000 wards and village tracts have been cancelled, effectively leaving about one-third of the country's territory out of the electoral process.
The election environment is tightly controlled by the junta through new legislation. An election protection law now imposes prison sentences and the death penalty for criticism of the vote. Since July, more than 200 people have been arrested for expressing dissent online or otherwise, reflecting harsh measures to suppress opposition.
Security conditions and the humanitarian situation have worsened in 2025. Military air and drone strikes have increased by roughly 30% compared to 2024, targeting civilian infrastructure such as a hospital in Rakhine state. Additionally, conscription-related abductions have risen by 26%, indicating intensified military campaigns.
China has expressed support for the election as a means to restore stability and has actively helped the military regain momentum. Beijing has facilitated cutting cross-border supplies to opposition groups in northern Shan state. Reports indicate that two major ethnic armed groups, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), have been forced to relinquish control of some territory.
The military has adapted its tactics in advance of the vote by intensifying bombardments, mandating conscription, employing drones more effectively, and streamlining the chain of command to expedite airstrikes.
Analysts characterize the election as a mere exercise in legitimacy that will not restore democracy. Many regions under ethnic and resistance group control or contestation remain inaccessible, undermining the representativeness of the election.
International responses remain sceptical. Western governments and the United Nations have dismissed the election as a sham, while the junta maintains the vote serves the people and holds little concern for foreign approval.
