Myanmar’s military authorities say they are pursuing legal action against more than 200 people accused of trying to disrupt the country’s upcoming elections, deepening concerns that the polls will be neither free nor credible. The vote, scheduled to begin on 28 December, is being promoted by the junta as a step towards national reconciliation, despite the civil war that has raged since the 2021 coup.

 

The new prosecutions fall under legislation introduced in July, a law that bans criticism, protest or any action deemed to obstruct the election. Rights groups say the measures are designed to silence dissent rather than protect the integrity of the vote. According to state media, Home Affairs Minister Tun Tun Naung said 229 individuals are being targeted for “sabotaging election processes”, though many are activists or rebels operating outside the junta’s control.

 

Penalties under the law are severe. Convictions can carry sentences of up to ten years, and arrests have reportedly been made for actions as minor as reacting with a “heart” emoji to posts criticising the election. Damaging ballot papers or polling stations, or intimidating voters and election workers, can lead to sentences of up to 20 years.

 

International observers have already dismissed the upcoming polls. The UN’s human rights monitor for Myanmar, Tom Andrews, has described the election as a “sham”, pointing to sweeping restrictions on free speech and political participation. Opposition groups controlling large parts of the country have vowed to block the vote entirely.

 

The junta has intensified its crackdown in recent months. Ten activists in Mandalay are wanted for staging an anti‑election protest, while a man was jailed in September for seven years with hard labour over a Facebook post questioning the poll. Three artists — a director, an actor and a comedian — were arrested soon after for allegedly undermining the vote on social media. At least one person has been prosecuted for physically assaulting an election organiser.

 

These cases add to the more than 22,000 political prisoners currently held in Myanmar, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Among them is Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate whose party won the last election in a landslide before the military overturned the result and dissolved her party.

 

As the junta tightens control over political expression, it is also pushing a military offensive to seize more territory before polling begins. Results from the phased vote are expected at the end of January 2026, though many inside and outside the country question whether they will carry any legitimacy at all.

 

 

-2025-12-19

Now, this is a Dictator.  How does Trump fit in with this?  Think Ilhan Omar would be around if Trump were  a Dictator?