The United Nations has expressed deep concern that Myanmar’s planned 2025 general election could entrench repression and instability rather than advance democracy. With widespread conflict, political persecution, and severe restrictions on civil freedoms, the UN warns that holding elections under current conditions risks legitimizing authoritarian rule instead of resolving the country’s ongoing crisis.
A Vote Under Coercion and Conflict
Officials at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) describe the environment surrounding the polls as “rife with threats and violence”, with thousands detained and major political parties excluded from the process. The military rulers themselves acknowledge that the election cannot be held nationwide because full control does not extend across the country. In regions still engulfed in armed conflict, citizens may be unable (or too fearful) to participate, making meaningful voter turnout or representation improbable.
Beyond battlefield realities, the regime’s political and legal framework undermines any claim to fairness. The electoral system is orchestrated by a commission whose leadership was replaced by former military officials after the 2021 coup. New laws impose strict thresholds for party registration that effectively bar most opposition groups from participating.
Legitimizing Authoritarian Rule
Far from enabling a transition from crisis to civilian governance, the upcoming election appears designed to codify military dominance in a veneer of democratic legitimacy. OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence warned that the ballot is likely to “deepen insecurity, fear and polarization throughout the country”. Critics caution that widening repression is the real objective, not political inclusion or reform. Many detained opposition figures remain imprisoned, and dissent is broadly criminalized, severely limiting free expression.
In effect, the election may serve as a legitimizing instrument for a regime that retains ultimate power over security, governance, and civil liberties. Analysts argue that this undermines any international or domestic recognition of the result as credible.
Humanitarian Cost and Deepening Polarization
The implications go beyond politics. With significant parts of the country still under rebel control or ravaged by armed conflict, the election could heighten polarization and violence. It risks derailing humanitarian efforts at a time when millions are already displaced and in urgent need of aid.
The ballot’s limited reach and contested legitimacy threaten to erase meaningful representation for many ethnic minorities and conflict-affected populations. That could deepen grievances, fueling further unrest and undermining prospects for reconciliation or peace.
What Lies Ahead for Myanmar and the International Community
If the election proceeds without substantial reforms or inclusive safeguards, the result may entrench a military-backed regime lacking genuine legitimacy. That outcome could further isolate Myanmar internationally and deepen domestic divisions. International actors that treat the vote as credible risk inadvertently endorsing repression.
Humanitarian imperatives may suffer as global attention shifts to the election rather than to civilians’ urgent needs. Without a shift in priorities, conflict-related displacement, human rights abuses, and sectarian tensions may worsen.
To prevent that, the UN and human-rights advocates urge a pause on political theatrics until basic protections, security, freedom of expression, humanitarian access, are restored. Otherwise, the election may prove far more destructive than stabilizing.
