UN Warns of Fear and Repression as Myanmar Prepares for December Elections

United Nations human rights officials have issued a stark warning that Myanmar’s upcoming elections, scheduled for late December, are taking place in an atmosphere of widespread fear, violence, and systematic repression.

According to the UN, thousands of political activists, journalists, and opposition figures remain arbitrarily detained, while major opposition parties—including the National League for Democracy (NLD)—have been effectively barred from participating.

The military junta’s dissolution of dozens of political parties and its imposition of strict registration requirements have left the electoral field heavily tilted in favor of military-backed groups.“People are terrified to speak out or organize,” a senior UN human rights official said. “With ongoing armed conflict in many parts of the country, arbitrary arrests, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly, these elections risk deepening division rather than restoring stability.”

The junta’s spokesman, Major General Zaw Min Tun, rejected the criticism, declaring that the elections “will be held in a free, fair and disciplined manner across the entire country” and that only parties attempting to “destroy the state” have been excluded.

Some regional observers and the junta-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party have welcomed the vote, describing it as a vital milestone in the military’s five-step roadmap to return Myanmar to a “discipline-flourishing multi-party democratic system.”

The polls will be the first since the February 2021 military coup that ousted the elected NLD government. Large areas of the country remain under the control of armed ethnic organizations and pro-democracy resistance forces, raising doubts about whether voting can even take place in significant portions of Myanmar’s territory.

The United Nations has called on the junta to release all political prisoners, restore civic freedoms, and ensure inclusive and credible elections, warning that a deeply flawed process could further destabilize the country and the wider region.

Signpost NewsDesk

Signpost News is an Imphal-based media house that focuses on delivering news and views from Northeast India and beyond.