One month before Myanmar’s military junta stages its first general elections since the 2021 coup, press freedom groups warn that a new law is being used to silence independent reporting. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says the regime’s prosecution of the Assistance Association for Myanmar-based Independent Journalists (AAMIJ) under an “electoral interference” statute shows how repression is being reinforced ahead of polling.

 

The elections, due to begin on 28 December in areas under junta control, will run into January 2026. They cover only half the country, reflecting the military’s limited reach amid ongoing conflict. RSF, which lists Myanmar’s generals among its “Press Freedom Predators,” argues that the vote cannot be transparent while journalists face harassment, imprisonment and violence.

 

Authorities charged AAMIJ on 10 November under Article 24(a) of the new law, which carries sentences of up to seven years for “threats or harm caused to a candidate.” The association’s alleged offence was publishing evidence linking one candidate to drug trafficking. RSF’s Asia-Pacific director Cédric Alviani said the case illustrates a chilling message: reporters who attempt to cover the elections risk jail or worse.

 

The junta has promised to “allow” foreign journalists to report, but only with official accreditation. UN experts, including Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews, have dismissed the conditions as fraudulent, pointing to the systematic suppression of independent media.

 

Since seizing power, Myanmar’s generals have executed seven journalists, jailed more than 200 — with at least 51 still behind bars — and revoked 15 media licences. Torture of detainees has been documented, alongside internet shutdowns that create “information black holes.”

 

Myanmar now ranks 169th out of 180 in RSF’s 2025 World Press Freedom Index, making it the world’s second-largest jailer of journalists after China. As the elections near, the crackdown underscores how the junta is determined to control the narrative, leaving little room for genuine democratic debate.

 

-2025-11-30

Just look at him, the evil face of genocide and dictatorship, adorned with the atrocious rewards of his cruel actions!

When is the rest of the world going to stand up and call this thieving murdering piece of lying dog sh--t for what he is, just a scum bag of the tallest order. Until the respective resistance armies unite they will not succeed in toppling this illegal excuse for a government. China is supporting it so it can builds it deep sea ports, run its transport routes and rape Myanmar of its vast  rare earth minerals, precious gems and whatever else they can get their greedy hands on.