Myanmar’s Sham Elections: Democracy Sidelined as Junta Tightens Grip Amid Civil War
In the early morning hours across Myanmar, military personnel stand guard outside polling stations, their presence a stark reminder of the nation’s fraught political landscape. As voters trickle in—far fewer than in previous elections—the atmosphere is one of resignation rather than democratic celebration. This weekend’s elections, orchestrated by the military junta that seized power in February 2021, represent not a step toward democracy but rather an attempt to legitimize authoritarian rule while the country remains engulfed in a devastating civil war. With major opposition leaders either imprisoned or barred from participation, and conflict raging across multiple regions, these elections stand as what many international observers are calling a hollow performance of democracy—one that masks the brutal reality facing Myanmar’s 54 million citizens.
A Nation in Turmoil: Civil War Devastates as Voting Proceeds
The irony of holding elections amid Myanmar’s worst armed conflict in decades is not lost on its citizens. Since the military coup that ousted the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the country has descended into a multifaceted civil war that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced nearly two million people. In the northern Sagaing region, once the country’s rice bowl, entire villages stand abandoned after military bombardments. Meanwhile, in Rakhine State, the Arakan Army—one of several ethnic armed organizations fighting against the junta—has captured territory and established parallel governance structures.
“They speak of democracy while dropping bombs on civilians,” says Min Zaw, a former government employee who fled to Thailand and spoke via secure messaging. “In my village, there is no polling station because it no longer exists—it was burned to the ground last year.” The United Nations estimates that the military controls less than half of Myanmar’s territory, raising fundamental questions about how meaningful nationwide elections could possibly be conducted. In regions where conflict is most intense, including Chin, Kayah, and Karen states, voting has been suspended entirely—effectively disenfranchising millions of citizens while the military government claims democratic legitimacy.
Opposition Silenced: Political Persecution Undermines Electoral Credibility
The National League for Democracy (NLD), which won overwhelming majorities in the 2015 and 2020 elections, has been systematically dismantled by the junta. The party was officially dissolved last year on spurious charges of electoral fraud—the same unsubstantiated claims the military used to justify its coup. Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who served as State Counsellor, remains imprisoned in Naypyidaw, serving a combined 33-year sentence after a series of secretive trials widely condemned as politically motivated.
“This is an election without choices,” explains Dr. Sai Kyi, a political analyst based in Bangkok who requested a pseudonym for safety reasons. “When you jail or exile your opponents, ban their parties, and control which parties can register, you’re not holding an election—you’re staging political theater.” The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) faces only token opposition from smaller parties that agreed to the junta’s strict electoral conditions. Human rights organizations have documented hundreds of cases of political candidates being detained, threatened, or otherwise prevented from campaigning. Former NLD officials who escaped imprisonment have been barred from political activity for life, effectively removing an entire generation of democratic leadership from Myanmar’s political landscape.
International Isolation Deepens as Global Community Rejects Electoral Charade
The international response to Myanmar’s elections has been overwhelmingly negative, further isolating the already diplomatically challenged junta. The United Nations Secretary-General issued a statement expressing “grave concern” over the electoral process, while the United States, European Union, and United Kingdom have all declared they will not recognize the results. Even the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), typically reluctant to criticize member states, has taken the unusual step of questioning the elections’ legitimacy.
“These elections fail to meet even the most basic standards for democratic processes,” stated a senior diplomat from a Western nation who requested anonymity to speak candidly. “There can be no credible election while political prisoners number in the thousands, independent media is criminalized, and civil society is under systematic attack.” International election monitors have been barred from observing the process, with the junta claiming this constitutes foreign interference. Instead, a small number of observers from “friendly countries” including Russia, China, and several authoritarian states have been invited—a move critics describe as assembling an audience of like-minded regimes to applaud democratic backsliding.
Economic Catastrophe Compounds Political Crisis as Poverty Rates Soar
The political turmoil unfolds against a backdrop of economic collapse that has pushed millions of Myanmar’s citizens into poverty. The World Bank estimates that the economy has contracted by nearly 30% since the coup, erasing a decade of economic progress. Once-bustling commercial districts in Yangon now feature shuttered storefronts, while rural communities struggle with hyperinflation that has made basic goods unaffordable.
“Before the coup, my factory employed 200 workers making garments for export,” says U Thein, a businessman who now drives a taxi in Yangon. “Now it sits empty—the international brands canceled their orders, the banks restricted withdrawals, and electricity is too unreliable to operate machinery.” Myanmar’s currency, the kyat, has lost more than half its value against the dollar, while foreign investment has collapsed amid sanctions and reputational concerns. The parallel government formed by elected lawmakers, the National Unity Government (NUG), has warned international businesses against legitimizing the junta through tax payments or partnerships. This economic stranglehold has created unprecedented hardship but has not visibly weakened the military’s grip on power, which maintains control of key revenue sources including natural gas, jade, and timber exports.
Beyond the Ballot: Myanmar’s Uncertain Path Forward
As polling stations close and the junta prepares to announce results that few doubt will favor military-aligned candidates, the question remains: what comes next for Myanmar? The elections, rather than resolving the political crisis, may deepen it. Pro-democracy activists have already declared they will intensify resistance efforts, while ethnic armed organizations show no signs of accepting military rule. The parallel National Unity Government, recognized by some nations as Myanmar’s legitimate authority, continues to operate from exile and underground.
“The junta wants these elections to be the end of the story—proof they’ve ‘restored order’ and deserve recognition,” says Myat Thu, a researcher documenting human rights abuses for a Thailand-based organization. “But for most people in Myanmar, this is just another dark chapter in a continuing struggle.” International pressure through sanctions and diplomatic isolation has failed to compel the military to change course, while humanitarian aid struggles to reach those most in need amid security restrictions. As night falls across a divided nation, the flickering hope of the democratic opening that began in 2010 has been replaced by a grim determination among many Myanmar citizens to resist military rule by any means necessary—with or without the ballot box.
For a country that briefly tasted democratic governance after decades of military rule, today’s sham elections represent not progress but regression. As one young protester in Mandalay told a foreign journalist via encrypted message: “They can force us to vote or not vote, but they cannot force us to believe this is democracy. The real vote happened in 2020, and the world knows who the people chose.” Until that choice is respected, Myanmar’s political crisis—and its devastating human consequences—will continue unabated.
