War-torn Myanmar votes in widely criticized ‘sham’ election

Myanmar is holding an election that is widely considered a sham, with the main political parties disbanded, many leaders imprisoned and half the country expected not to vote due to the ongoing civil war.

The military government is Hold staged voting It seized power in a coup nearly five years ago, sparking widespread opposition that turned into civil war.

Observers say the junta, backed by China, is seeking to legitimize and consolidate its power to escape a devastating stalemate.

More than 200 people have been charged for disrupting or opposing voting under a new law that carries harsh penalties including the death penalty.

Voting began on Sunday after reports of explosions in at least two areas of Myanmar.

An uninhabited house in Mandalay region was hit by a rocket attack in the early hours of Sunday, and three people were sent to hospital, the chief minister of the Mandalay region confirmed to the BBC. One of them was seriously injured.

Separately, more than a dozen houses were damaged in the town of Myawaddy, near the Thai border, after a series of explosions on Saturday night.

A local resident told the BBC that a child was killed in the attack and three people were rushed to hospital.

Voters told the BBC that the election felt more “disciplined and systematic” than before.

“The experience of voting has changed a lot,” said Masuzaki, who lives in the Mandalay region.

“Before I voted, I was scared. Now that I voted, I felt relieved. I voted as a person who did the best he could for his country.”

First-time voter Ei Pyay Phyo Maung, 22, told the BBC she voted because she believed voting was “every citizen’s duty”.

“My hope is for the underclass – right now, with prices skyrocketing, I want to support those who can bring prices down for those who are struggling the most,” she said.

“I want a president who provides equal benefits to everyone.”

Myanmar’s military junta has rejected criticism of the polls, insisting its goal is “a return to a multi-party democratic system”.

After voting at a heavily guarded polling station in the capital, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing told the BBC the election would be free and fair.

“I am the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and a civil servant. I cannot just say I want to be president,” he said, stressing that the election has three phases.

Earlier this week, he warned that those who refused to vote were rejecting “the progress of democracy”.

Film director Mike Tee, actor Kyaw Win Htut and comedian Ohn Daing are among the high-profile people convicted under the voting disruption law enacted in July.

They were sentenced to seven years in prison for criticizing a film promoting the election, state media reported.

“There are no conditions for the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, association or peaceful assembly,” senior UN human rights official Volker Türk said.

Turk said in a statement on Tuesday that civilians were “under coercion from all sides” and noted that armed rebel groups had issued threats asking people to boycott the vote.

The military has been fighting on multiple fronts, both against armed resistance groups opposing the coup and ethnic minority armies with their own militias. It lost control of much of the country in a series of major setbacks but regained territory this year after ruthless air strikes Thanks to the support of China and Russia.

The civil war has killed thousands and displaced millions, devastated the economy and left a humanitarian vacuum. one devastating earthquake in march Cuts in international funding have made the situation worse.

All this and the fact that much of the country is still in a state of disaster Opposition control This poses a huge logistical challenge to holding the election.

Voting will take place in three phases next month in 265 of the country’s 330 townships, with the remainder deemed too volatile. Results are expected around the end of January.

Half the country is not expected to vote. Even in towns where voting is taking place, not all constituencies will go to the polls, making it difficult to predict likely turnout.

Six political parties, including the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, are fielding candidates across the country, while 51 other parties and independent candidates will run only at the state or regional level.

About 40 political parties have been banned, including Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, which won landslide victories in 2015 and 2020. Suu Kyi and many of the party’s key leaders are imprisoned on charges widely condemned as politically motivated, while others live in exile.

Htin Kyaw Aye, a spokesman for the election monitoring group Spring Sprouts, told the Myanmar News Agency: “By dividing the voting into several phases, the authorities can adjust their strategy if the results of the first phase do not meet their expectations.”

Ral Uk Thang, a resident of western Chin state, believes civilians “don’t want elections to be held.”

“The military does not know how to govern our country. They only work in the interest of senior leaders.

“When Aung San Suu Kyi’s party was in power, we experienced a bit of democracy. But now all we do is cry and shed tears,” the 80-year-old said. tell the bbc.

Western governments including Britain and the European Parliament have dismissed the vote as a sham, while regional grouping ASEAN has called for political dialogue before any election.