Myanmar's junta held the second phase of its widely criticized elections Sunday, with polls opening in constituencies across the country, including the seat previously held by deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The armed forces have ruled Myanmar since its independence from colonial rule and seized power in a 2021 coup, detaining Suu Kyi and plunging the nation into civil war.
Democracy advocates say the vote has been manipulated through a crackdown on dissent and an electoral system stacked in favor of military-backed parties. Despite this, some voters like Than Than Sint, a 54-year-old farmer, took part in the process, hoping for peace. "We know it won't come right away," she said, "but we need to go step by step for our future generations."
The junta has promised that the three-phase election will return power to the people once completed on January 25. However, many analysts view this as an attempt by the military to improve its international image and gain more foreign investment, rather than a genuine effort to establish democracy.
In reality, the poll has been marred by violence and repression, with some areas having their votes canceled due to rebel activity. Security forces have also targeted protesters, putting dozens of people on trial under junta-enacted laws that carry up to 10 years in prison. Over 22,000 people are currently being held as political prisoners.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, activists have formed ragtag guerrilla units fighting alongside ethnic minority armies opposed to central rule. Meanwhile, monitoring group ACLED estimates that over 90,000 people have been killed on all sides of the ongoing civil war.
The election has been widely criticized by international observers and human rights groups, with many viewing it as a sham. "The junta engineered the polls to ensure victory for its proxy," said Tom Andrews, a UN rights expert. The outcome of this vote will be a far cry from true democracy, and Myanmar's people remain caught in a cycle of violence and repression.
Democracy advocates say the vote has been manipulated through a crackdown on dissent and an electoral system stacked in favor of military-backed parties. Despite this, some voters like Than Than Sint, a 54-year-old farmer, took part in the process, hoping for peace. "We know it won't come right away," she said, "but we need to go step by step for our future generations."
The junta has promised that the three-phase election will return power to the people once completed on January 25. However, many analysts view this as an attempt by the military to improve its international image and gain more foreign investment, rather than a genuine effort to establish democracy.
In reality, the poll has been marred by violence and repression, with some areas having their votes canceled due to rebel activity. Security forces have also targeted protesters, putting dozens of people on trial under junta-enacted laws that carry up to 10 years in prison. Over 22,000 people are currently being held as political prisoners.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, activists have formed ragtag guerrilla units fighting alongside ethnic minority armies opposed to central rule. Meanwhile, monitoring group ACLED estimates that over 90,000 people have been killed on all sides of the ongoing civil war.
The election has been widely criticized by international observers and human rights groups, with many viewing it as a sham. "The junta engineered the polls to ensure victory for its proxy," said Tom Andrews, a UN rights expert. The outcome of this vote will be a far cry from true democracy, and Myanmar's people remain caught in a cycle of violence and repression.
Still can't believe they're trying to pass off a election that's basically rigged from the start as real progress 
. It's all just a show for the world while the actual ruling is still with the military 
. And what's with the "three-phase" nonsense? Just sounds like more empty promises to me 
. The fact that people are risking their lives and freedom to participate in this farce is just heartbreaking 
. And don't even get me started on the 22k+ people being held as political prisoners 
. When will they learn that violence and repression won't solve anything? 
. It's like they're putting on a show, but it's all just pretend. These elections are supposed to bring back power to the people, but really, it's just the military trying to cover its tracks and gain some legitimacy abroad. The way they've manipulated the system is so obvious – canceling votes in rebel areas, silencing dissenting voices... it's like they're trying to erase the very idea of democracy.
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. And the fact that international observers are saying it’s a sham... yeah, it sounds pretty bleak 
. Can’t they just let the people have a fair say? It’s been over 10 years since the coup and the civil war is still raging on... something needs to change ASAP 
the way they're handling these elections is straight outta a bad movie lol the junta's trying to gain good Intl relations but its all just a facade at this point 
my heart goes out to all those innocent ppl being held as political prisoners 
22k+ is way too many and it's just not fair 
i wish the world could just sit back, relax, and let Myanmar figure things out on its own but we cant turn a blind eye when human rights are being trampled 
. I think the whole situation in Myanmar is super sad, but also kinda hopeful at the same time? Like, there are these ordinary people like Than Than Sint who still want peace and are trying to make a difference, despite everything. And yeah, some ppl might be skeptical about the elections being fair, but I dunno if it's all just international pressure on the military or what 
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. We can all just kinda... wait and see, maybe? 
. I'm not convinced that this whole three-phase thing is anything more than a distraction from the junta's grip on power 
... I think we need to take this election with a grain of salt 
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myanmar needs real change, not some staged elections that serve the interests of those in power 
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. The estimated 90k deaths in the civil war... it's like, what even is going on there? 
"Election" = 
(crown) – who needs votes when you got guns? 
"We need to go step by step for our future generations"... meanwhile, my future is a bunch of dead people 
"The junta engineered the polls..." – time to get a new team, folks 
- it's like, we gotta acknowledge the pain and suffering right now, not just hope that things get better someday. what's the point of lookin' towards a future if we ain't takin' care of ourselves and each other in this moment? 
. I'm not surprised by all the violence and repression going on – it's just another way for the military to silence dissenting voices 
. We can't let them get away with this sham election 
. I mean, think about it - they're detaining Suu Kyi, one of the most iconic figures in Myanmar's history... and now they're trying to sweep her under the rug by letting other military-backed parties win 
. It's like, come on, guys - can't we learn from each other's mistakes? 
. I mean, what's the point of even having an election if it's not going to lead to real change?