Ask Onix
Phased voting begins under military rule
Myanmar launched a multi-stage election on Sunday, nearly five years after the military seized power in a coup. The ballot, widely condemned as illegitimate, unfolds amid an ongoing civil war and sweeping restrictions on opposition parties.
Widespread disruptions and violence
Explosions and airstrikes marred the first day of voting across several regions. In Mandalay, a rocket attack on an unoccupied house early Sunday injured three people, one critically, according to the region's chief minister. Separately, over ten homes in Myawaddy township, near the Thai border, were damaged in a series of blasts late Saturday. A local resident reported one child killed and three others hospitalized in critical condition.
Junta defends process as opposition faces repression
The military government insists the election marks a return to "multi-party democracy." Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, casting his ballot at a heavily guarded polling station in the capital, called the process "free and fair" and warned that abstaining equates to rejecting democratic progress. Critics, however, describe the vote as a staged performance under duress.
"An election organized by a junta that continues to bomb civilians, jail political leaders, and criminalize all forms of dissent is not an election-it is a theatre of the absurd performed at gunpoint."
Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur
Crackdown on dissent and logistical hurdles
More than 200 people have been charged under a new law criminalizing election interference, with penalties including the death sentence. High-profile figures such as film director Mike Tee, actor Kyaw Win Htut, and comedian Ohn Daing received seven-year prison terms for criticizing a pro-election film. Meanwhile, large swaths of the country remain under opposition control, complicating logistics. Voting will occur in three phases across 265 of Myanmar's 330 townships, with results expected by late January.
Public sentiment divided amid economic crisis
Some voters expressed relief after casting ballots. Ma Su Zar Chi, a resident of Mandalay, said the process felt "disciplined and systematic" compared to past elections. First-time voter Ei Pyay Phyo Maung, 22, framed participation as a civic duty but voiced concerns about soaring prices and inequality. "I want a president who provides equally for all people," she told reporters.
Others rejected the election outright. Ral Uk Thang, an 80-year-old from Chin state, lamented the loss of democracy under military rule. "When Aung San Suu Kyi's party was in power, we experienced a bit of democracy. Now all we do is cry and shed tears," he said.
International condemnation and regional dynamics
Western governments, including the UK and the European Parliament, dismissed the vote as a sham. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) urged political dialogue before any election. Meanwhile, the junta has regained some territory this year through relentless airstrikes backed by China and Russia, despite losing ground to resistance groups and ethnic militias. The civil war has killed thousands, displaced millions, and devastated the economy, compounded by a March earthquake and cuts to international aid.
