the Irrawaddy

 

Myanmar’s military-led legislative elections have been met with widespread indifference from the country’s younger generation, who dismiss the vote as a sham designed to entrench the junta’s grip on power.

 

At polling stations in Yangon, queues were dominated by older citizens, mothers and retirees, while many young people stayed away. “Most of those who go to vote are elderly,” said one man in his twenties, speaking anonymously for safety reasons. “We don’t want to get involved in this chaos or legitimise an election that is unjust.”

 

The military seized power in 2021, plunging Myanmar into civil conflict. Since then, thousands of young men of conscription age have fled abroad, alongside others seeking better prospects outside a collapsing economy. Those who remain show little interest in a ballot widely condemned by international observers as a “masquerade.”

 

Turnout figures underline the disillusionment. At one Yangon polling station, only 500 of 1,400 registered voters had cast ballots with less than two hours before closing. This contrasts sharply with the 70 per cent participation recorded in the last national elections in 2020.

 

Older voters, however, voiced a sense of duty. Sein Yee, a 74-year-old former teacher, insisted: “Voting is a responsibility for all citizens. It is an opportunity to achieve peace.” Ninety-seven-year-old former journalist Sato Nga Nyo echoed the sentiment, saying he wanted to show support for his country.

 

The atmosphere around Sule Pagoda, once a focal point of pro-democracy protests, was subdued. Loudspeakers blared songs urging citizens to vote, while police and soldiers patrolled the streets. Rebel groups have warned of attacks on polling stations, advising voters to return home immediately afterwards. Reports have also surfaced of people being forced to cast ballots under threat of violence.

 

In Rakhine State, where ethnic militias hold sway, scepticism was stark. “This is an unjust election, organised against the will of the people,” said 35-year-old Kyaw Min Thein. “It is simply a chance for the military to swap uniforms for civilian clothes and keep their power.”

 

For Myanmar’s youth, the ballot box offers little hope of change. Their absence from the polls speaks volumes about a generation unwilling to endorse a process they believe is rigged against them.

 

 

-2025-12-29

This is an unjust election, organized against the will of the people. It is the military pretending to swap uniforms for civilian clothes and keep their power. The United Nations, European Union, and various human rights organizations have condemned these elections as a sham, noting that major opposition parties like the NLD have been dissolved and their leaders remain imprisoned. A sad day when the Myanmar military unjustly took control of the civilian elected government for their personal gain. The 2021 Myanmar coup began on February 1, 2021, when the military (Tatmadaw) seized control from the democratically elected government led by the National League for Democracy (NLD). Nearly five years later, as of late December 2025, the military remains in power under Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, though its control is fragmented by an ongoing civil war. On February 1, 2021 - the day the new parliament was to be sworn in - the military detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other top NLD officials. The military claimed widespread fraud in the November 2020 general election, in which the NLD won a landslide victory. These claims were categorically rejected by the Union Election Commission and independent observers. The ruling military junta is only for themselves, oppressing the Myanmar population. They should be put down.

The Burmese military is one of the most foul in corrupt organizations on earth and if they have any involvement you know it's unjust. 

 

The generals are absolutely desperate to maintain control of their old growth timber, mining, gemstone, human trafficking, sex trafficking, slave trade, heroin business, and other concessions that they're making billions upon billions of dollars from. 

On 12/29/2025 at 10:23 AM, geovalin said:

At polling stations in Yangon, queues were dominated by older citizens, mothers and retirees, while many young people stayed away. “Most of those who go to vote are elderly,” said one man in his twenties, speaking anonymously for safety reasons. “We don’t want to get involved in this chaos or legitimise an election that is unjust.”

 

Also, it seems pretty smart for military age citizens to avoid places where they may get dragged off and conscripted.