The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned on Friday that the Myanmar military junta’s planned elections could only worsen repression and instability rather than restore democracy.
OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence described the elections, scheduled for December 28, as a military-controlled process conducted in an environment “rife with threats and violence.” He stated: “Far from leading a political transition from crisis to stability or restoring democratic and civilian rule, this process will almost certainly deepen insecurity, fear, and polarization throughout the country.”
James Rodehaver, the head of OHCHR’s Myanmar team, highlighted the dilemma facing civilians, noting that the military pressures citizens to vote while armed opposition groups threaten retaliation for participating. Although the junta claims to have pardoned 4,000 individuals convicted of sedition, Rodehaver said that only around 550 have been verified as released, with many subsequently rearrested. Authorities have detained over 100 individuals under new “election protection rules,” including three youths sentenced to 49 years in prison for displaying posters featuring a bullet-pierced ballot box.
Rodehaver also raised concerns about the electronic-only voting system, which relies on AI and biometric surveillance, further eroding trust in the electoral process. Large parts of the country remain beyond military control, making credible elections infeasible. Elections will not occur in 56 townships under martial law, and in 31 townships, voting will not take place at all. Discrimination also looms large in the electoral process, with Rohingya, Tamils, Gurkhas and Chinese, among other minorities, effectively excluded from voting.
The UN Special Rapporteur for Myanmar, Tom Andrews, labeled the elections a “charade” in his October report, urging the international community to “unequivocally reject” them. Andrews criticized the junta’s reforms as merely “cosmetic” and aimed at preserving military dominance. Since the February 2021 coup, the junta has detained over 30,000 political opponents, including former leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Authorities have dissolved at least 40 parties, including the National League for Democracy (NLD).
Myanmar’s electoral framework spurs concerns for international law. Article 25(b) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) guarantees every citizen the right “to vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections” conducted by universal and equal suffrage, by secret ballot, and in an atmosphere of free expression.
Last month Human Rights Watch also urged global leaders to denounce Myanmar’s military junta and its planned elections, describing the process as a “sham.” HRW further recommended that states intensify diplomatic isolation of the nation’s military rulers and increase humanitarian and refugee assistance.
The military junta came to power in a February 2021 coup, and the country has since been torn by internal conflict. The UN and international organizations have expressed significant concern over the country’s worsening humanitarian situation, denouncing the military’s use of violence and repression.
