https://arab.news/55742
The recent announcement by Myanmar’s junta that it will hold national elections in December 2025 or January 2026 is not the sign of democratic progress it purports to be. Rather, it is a familiar ruse, one the military regime has deployed before to buy time, consolidate power, and manipulate both domestic and international opinion. The world must not be fooled again.
Since the February 2021 coup, Myanmar has descended into chaos. The military’s seizure of power dismantled a fledgling democracy and sparked widespread resistance, pushing the country into a protracted civil conflict. The state of emergency, imposed as a pretext for the coup, remains in effect, granting sweeping powers to the military and silencing opposition through brutal repression. Thousands have been detained, tortured, or killed. Ethnic minorities, including the Rohingya, continue to face systemic violence and displacement. Meanwhile, the junta has outlawed key opposition parties, including the National League for Democracy, and imprisoned its leaders, such as Aung San Suu Kyi, on trumped-up charges.
In this context, any promise of an election is farcical. An electoral process conducted under martial law, with political opponents silenced and civil liberties suspended, cannot be deemed free or fair. It is an insult to the very idea of democracy.
