Myanmar Sham Election 2025: Military Tightens Grip Amid Nationwide Resistance

Ink on fingers, but blood on the streets. Nearly five years after the February 2021 coup, Myanmar's military junta has conducted a national vote that the international community has largely dismissed as a transparent attempt to legitimize its rule.

Myanmar Sham Election 2025 Under Global Scrutiny

According to BBC News, correspondent Jonathan Head visited polling stations where the atmosphere was heavily controlled. While the military claims the election is a step toward democracy, it's happening while the country remains in the throes of a brutal civil war. Major political parties have been forcibly dissolved, leaving no viable opposition for voters to choose from.

Dissolved Opposition and Jailed Leaders

The military-led Union Election Commission barred dozens of parties, most notably the National League for Democracy (NLD). With its leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, still behind bars, the process has been labeled a "sham" by human rights groups. Resistance forces, including ethnic armed organizations, continue to launch attacks against junta positions, making large parts of the country too unstable for actual voting to take place.