Ajunta announces December 28, 2025 elections, the first since the 2021 coup. Critics call the vote a sham as civil war and crisis deepen.
Myanmar’s ruling military junta has announced that the country will hold its first general elections since the 2021 coup on December 28, 2025. The vote, scheduled to take place in multiple stages, is being dismissed by critics as a sham election designed to extend military rule.
2021 coup and Aung San Suu Kyi’s detention
The upcoming polls will be the first since the army, led by Min Aung Hlaing, seized power in a bloody coup in February 2021. The military ousted and detained Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), whose party had won landslide victories in the two previous elections. The NLD has now been banned from contesting.
Civil war and voting challenges
Myanmar has been in a state of civil war since the coup, with heavy fighting between the army, ethnic armed groups, and pro-democracy forces. Many opposition-controlled regions have said they will not permit voting, raising serious doubts about how the elections will be conducted.
International reaction and criticism
The planned polls have been condemned by the United Nations and human rights groups, who say the junta is seeking to create the illusion of democracy. UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews called the elections an “illusion” and urged the international community to reject them. Human Rights Watch warned that credible elections cannot take place without ending violence, freeing political prisoners, and restoring opposition parties.
China’s backing of Myanmar junta
Despite widespread criticism, the elections are supported by China, Myanmar’s most powerful neighbor, which sees stability in the country as a key strategic interest in Southeast Asia.
Humanitarian crisis worsens
Since the coup, thousands have been killed, millions displaced, and Myanmar’s economy left in ruins. The situation worsened after a devastating earthquake in March 2025 and sharp cuts in international aid, leaving millions in humanitarian distress.llions in dire humanitarian conditions.
