Myanmar elections marked by fear as UN warns civilians are coerced from all sides

Myanmar elections marked by fear as UN warns civilians are coerced from all sides

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that the military-controlled ballot is unfolding amid intensified violence, intimidation and arbitrary arrests, leaving no space for free or meaningful participation.

“These elections are clearly taking place in an environment of violence and repression,” Mr. Türk said in a news release. “There are no conditions for the exercise of the rights of freedom of expression, association or peaceful assembly.”

The first phase of the vote, scheduled for 28 December, is being organised by Myanmar’s military authorities more than four years after they seized power in a 2021 coup, dissolved major political parties and jailed thousands of opponents. Key figures, including former State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, remain imprisoned.

The crisis has since spiralled into widespread armed conflict, mass displacement and economic collapse, further compounded by devastating earthquakes in March 2025 that deepened humanitarian suffering across large parts of the country.

Dissent criminalised

According to the UN human rights office, OHCHR, dozens of people have recently been detained under a new “election protection law” for expressing dissent. Some have received extremely harsh sentences, including three young people in Yangon’s Hlaingthaya Township who were jailed for between 42 and 49 years for hanging anti-election posters.

Prominent cultural figures have also been targeted. Film director Mike Tee, actor Kyaw Win Htut and comedian Ohn Daing were each sentenced to seven years in prison for “undermining public trust” after criticising a pro-election propaganda film.

For displaced communities, the pressure is even more acute. The UN rights office has received reports from internally displaced people in areas including Mandalay region who said they were warned that their homes would be seized – or that airstrikes would continue – if they did not return to vote.

“Forcing displaced people to undertake unsafe and involuntary returns is a human rights violation,” Mr. Türk said.

Threats from armed groups

At the same time, armed groups opposing the military have issued their own threats.

In mid-November, nine women teachers travelling to attend ballot training in the Mon region were reportedly abducted and later released with warnings not to participate. In Yangon, the self-declared “Yangon Army” bombed local administration offices involved in election preparations, injuring election staff and vowing to continue attacking election organisers.

The UN has also raised concerns over the introduction of electronic-only voting combined with expanded surveillance, including artificial intelligence and biometric tracking, warning that such measures could further erode trust in the process and enable repression.

Pressing for peace

Speaking separately at UN Headquarters, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said UN Special Envoy Julie Bishop recently completed her third visit to Myanmar, where she met again with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

Mr. Dujarric said Ms. Bishop continues to stress the urgent need for a cessation of violence to enable humanitarian response and recovery, and to keep Myanmar on the global agenda while working toward a Myanmar-led, inclusive and peaceful solution.

Ms. Bishop also briefed the Security Council in a closed-door meeting on Monday on the situation.

Fears of more instability

UN officials have repeatedly cautioned that the vote risks entrenching instability rather than restoring democracy.

In October, the Secretary-General warned that elections held under current conditions risk “further exclusion and instability.”