UN Rights Council Urged to Reject Myanmar’s “Sham Elections”

At the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on 8 September, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) delivered a forceful oral statement condemning Myanmar’s upcoming elections, describing them as a “sham” orchestrated by the country’s military junta.

Speaking during the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on reports from the High Commissioner and the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, FIDH—alongside ALTSEAN-Burma and the Women’s Peace Network—called the electoral process unlawful and fundamentally illegitimate. The statement highlighted the exclusion of major political parties, including the National League for Democracy, which won over 90% of seats in the 2020 election, and the disenfranchisement of more than three million citizens, notably over one million Rohingya.

FIDH also raised alarm over a law enacted on 29 July that imposes prison sentences and even the death penalty on individuals who oppose the elections. The organisation urged UN member states and development partners to refrain from offering any form of support or recognition, including technical assistance or election monitoring.

The statement warned of broader regional consequences, citing potential instability and displacement affecting neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, China, and Thailand. FIDH concluded by calling for the immediate cessation of violence against civilians, the release of political prisoners, and the restoration of a democratically elected civilian government.

The intervention underscores growing international concern over Myanmar’s deteriorating human rights situation and the junta’s efforts to consolidate power through coercive and exclusionary means.

-2025-09-09