Myanmar's Military-Backed Proxy Expected to Win Landslide in Widely Denounced Election
The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development party (USDP) is expected to secure a landslide victory in Myanmar's highly contested election, which has been widely criticized as a sham designed to consolidate the army's grip on power.
The junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, who has rejected criticism of the vote, claims it has the support of the public and presents it as a return to democracy and stability. However, the international community, including the UN, human rights experts, the UK, Australia, and the EU's top rights official, has denounced the election, saying it lacks legitimacy.
The election took place in three stages, with the first phase held in December and a second phase held earlier in January. A total of 57 parties competed, but only six did so nationwide, and analysts say none of the parties on the ballot paper offered a meaningful opposition to the military.
Fighting continued in many areas throughout the election period, with 21 people killed and 28 injured in a military airstrike on a village where displaced people from the northern township of Bhamo were sheltering in Kachin state. The conflict has escalated into an ongoing war, described by Acled as "the most fragmented conflict in the world."
The opposition has been severely weakened, with many parties banned or unable to compete due to restrictions imposed by the military. Estimates suggest that 92,000 people have died in the post-coup conflict since 2021.
Voting turnout has also been low, at 55%, compared to about 70% in the 2020 election and 2015 historic vote that swept Aung San Suu Kyi to power. The pre-election period lacked the large rallies and excitement of previous votes, with voters reluctant to speak publicly about politics due to fear for their security.
The military's actions have been widely condemned by international leaders, who say the election was a farce designed to legitimize the army's rule. Tom Andrews, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said the vote had been orchestrated by the military to deliver a landslide for its proxy party.
"The junta is banking on the world's fatigue, hoping that the international community will accept military rule dressed up in civilian clothing," Andrews said. "Governments must not allow that to happen."
The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development party (USDP) is expected to secure a landslide victory in Myanmar's highly contested election, which has been widely criticized as a sham designed to consolidate the army's grip on power.
The junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, who has rejected criticism of the vote, claims it has the support of the public and presents it as a return to democracy and stability. However, the international community, including the UN, human rights experts, the UK, Australia, and the EU's top rights official, has denounced the election, saying it lacks legitimacy.
The election took place in three stages, with the first phase held in December and a second phase held earlier in January. A total of 57 parties competed, but only six did so nationwide, and analysts say none of the parties on the ballot paper offered a meaningful opposition to the military.
Fighting continued in many areas throughout the election period, with 21 people killed and 28 injured in a military airstrike on a village where displaced people from the northern township of Bhamo were sheltering in Kachin state. The conflict has escalated into an ongoing war, described by Acled as "the most fragmented conflict in the world."
The opposition has been severely weakened, with many parties banned or unable to compete due to restrictions imposed by the military. Estimates suggest that 92,000 people have died in the post-coup conflict since 2021.
Voting turnout has also been low, at 55%, compared to about 70% in the 2020 election and 2015 historic vote that swept Aung San Suu Kyi to power. The pre-election period lacked the large rallies and excitement of previous votes, with voters reluctant to speak publicly about politics due to fear for their security.
The military's actions have been widely condemned by international leaders, who say the election was a farce designed to legitimize the army's rule. Tom Andrews, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said the vote had been orchestrated by the military to deliver a landslide for its proxy party.
"The junta is banking on the world's fatigue, hoping that the international community will accept military rule dressed up in civilian clothing," Andrews said. "Governments must not allow that to happen."
so its like they expect us to just believe this election was legit and the army has been holding democracy hostage all these years? 
92k people killed since 2021 is wild, i cant even wrap my head around it. how can you have a "meaningful opposition" when half the parties are banned or dont even get to compete? its just a puppet show for the military and international leaders are right to call it out. 
92k people dead since 2021? that's crazy 
i mean, international leaders are straight up sayin' this election was a sham... like, who needs a real democracy when you can have a proxy party 
. The election just feels like a total sham and it's disheartening to see how far down the rabbit hole things have gone 
. I mean, 92k people have died since the coup in 2021 - that's insane! And what really gets me is the international community should've done more to support the opposition. It's easy to sit back and say 'oh no, Myanmar's having an election', but where was the real support for the people living there? 
. The fact that this military-backed party is expected to win by a landslide is just proof of how much the international community has failed these people. I mean, 92,000 deaths since 2021? That's not democracy, that's a bloody war zone! 
. What's most concerning is that many parties were banned or restricted, which means no real opposition could participate in the election 
. Myanmar's election is literally a joke! its like they took every bad idea from the past and mashed them all together into one big mess 
. how can u expect ppl to vote for a system thats been proven time & time again to be corrupt & oppressive? 
. its like they think ppl are stupid enough to believe their lies about democracy & stability 
.
min aung hlaing is straight up lyin' when he says this election has public support, I mean come on, 92k people have died since 2021 because of the conflict 
the opposition is basically non-existent, and it's just a bunch of parties bein' banned or suppressed by the military 
and let's be real, the world is just too tired to care about this... we need action, not words. 
And the opposition parties, they're all banned or suppressed in some way... it's like they're not even allowed to compete.
. i mean, you've got the military backing this party, but it's basically just a puppet government at this point. and don't even get me started on the "election" itself - 57 parties competing for a spot? that sounds like a total joke. and what about all the people who can't even participate because of the restrictions imposed by the military? it's like they're trying to erase entire communities from the equation.
It's just so messed up. And 92,000 deaths since 2021?! That's insane. The UN guy's right, governments gotta take a stand against this and not let them get away with it. This is just another example of how the military in Myanmar only cares about their own power and not about the people 
#NotBuyingIt
#JusticeForMyanmar