Myanmar is currently holding elections, but don’t be fooled by the word “democracy.” Five years after a military coup ousted the elected government and plunged the nation into civil war, the ruling junta is touting these polls as a return to normalcy. However, the reality on the ground tells a very different story.
The former civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, remains imprisoned, and her highly popular party has been dissolved. Western diplomats, human rights campaigners, and the UN’s rights chief have all widely condemned the phased, month-long vote. Why? Because the ballot is heavily stacked with military allies, and any form of dissent is met with a harsh crackdown. Critics expect the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party to emerge as the largest, effectively rebranding martial rule.
With civil war raging, voting simply isn’t happening in rebel-held areas. In junta-controlled cities like Yangon and Mandalay, polling stations are open, but the atmosphere is tense, marked by heavy security and none of the vibrant rallies that once defined Myanmar’s democratic hopeful days.
Many citizens, like Moe Moe Myint, who is hiding from junta airstrikes, feel betrayed. “How can we support a junta-run election when this military has destroyed our lives?” she asks, speaking for countless others displaced and living in fear. The sentiment is clear: this isn’t about peace; it’s about legitimizing power seized by force. With most parties from the last legitimate election dissolved and new rules suppressing criticism, international observers and activists agree these elections are far from free or fair.
