January 2023 - Ethnic Groups and Representatives Rejected Sham Election

It was in November 2022 that Karen National Union (KNU) sent a strong message, urging “people in our district to boycott the sham 2023 elections and not to participate.”

Pu Zing Cung, Chairman of the Chin National Front (CNF), used his 2023 New Year message to praise the courage of the Chin people and to reject the military’s sham election. Pu Zing Cung then stated the CNF’s formal position: “We unequivocally reject the military’s plan to hold elections, and we ask political parties and people not to participate.” Explaining this decision, he said: “It is merely a ploy to prolong military rule, designed to keep international pressure off of the SAC.”

In addition, Narinjara News reported on January 21 that Rakhine people have no confidence in the junta-run election. The information officer of the Arakan Students’ Union Ko Oo Than Naing said, “if the junta wants to hold elections in favor of the people, it is necessary to release the arrested political prisoners throughout Myanmar, and discuss with the important political parties and ethnic armed groups in Myanmar how to amend the 2008 constitution first,” and that “It is also the case that a great many governments do not accept this election. The US government has already dubbed it a sham election.”

January 2023 - International Election Experts and Organisations Released Joint Statement Denouncing the Sham Election

Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), National Democratic Institute (NDI), and International Republican Institute (IRI), the four organisations specialising in election observation, electoral and democracy assistance denounced the sham “election” planned by the illegal and illegitimate military junta of Myanmar, in a joint statement released on January 31, 2023. The full statement is available here.

February and July 2023 - Myanmar Junta Extended the State of Emergency “Twice” in 2023

As expected, the first announcement of the extension of the state of emergency came on February 1, 2023, the second anniversary of the attempted coup. This was the third six-month extension that the junta has rolled out since it unconstitutionally seized power in February 2021. “Although according to section 425 of the constitution, (a state of emergency) can only be granted two times, the current situation is under unusual circumstances and it is suitable to extend it one more time of six months,” said Myint Swe, acting President appointed by the junta.

On July 31, the Myanmar junta prolonged the state of emergency yet again, postponing the sham election it initially promised to hold in August 2023. The regime also announced that it was important to hold the 2024 nationwide population census first, implying that the sham election will only be held in 2025, by the time the census is complete.

Such extensions showed the junta’s violation of its own constitution and its inability to control the country and its desire to never loosen its grip on power.

March 2023 - Junta-appointed Union Election Commission (UEC) Abolished Political Parties

On the evening of March 28, the junta-appointed Union Election Commission (UEC) released a statement declaring that 40 political parties, which include the National League for Democracy (NLD) and Shan National League for Democracy (SNLD), have had their registration cancelled and have been dissolved. The decision of the military-controlled UEC has been strongly condemned by the US Department of State and the European Parliament, with the former stating, "The military regime’s decision to dissolve the political parties shows its continued contempt for the popular will of Burma’s people and multi-party democracy" and "This action further demonstrates that the regime’s plans for deeply flawed elections, if held, will not represent the will of Burma’s voters.” The complete list of abolished political parties is available here.

The incident showed the junta’s oppression against the opposition and its textbook move to rig the sham election.

May 2023 – Myanmar Ranks 173 out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index

The 21st edition of the World Press Freedom Index, published yearly by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), shows significant and frequently drastic shifts associated with political, social, and technological upheavals. Myanmar ranks 173 out of 180 in the index, with the country the world's second biggest jailer of journalists since the attempted military coup in February 2021. The full report is available here.

June 2023 – National League for Democracy (NLD) announced that 93 members have been killed and 1,200 jailed by the junta

"Ninety-three members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) have died at the hands of Myanmar military junta and 1,200 others remain under detention, the NLD said in a statement on Tuesday (June 13, 2023)," outlined in a news report by The Irrawaddy.

Besides dissolving the NLD as a political party through the junta-appointed UEC, the military has targeted the NLD through human rights abuses to ensure that the NLD is no longer an effective political opponent.

July and August 2023 – Some Crucial Developments Involving India’s Support for Junta’s Sham Election and the Introduction of Myanmar Electronic Voting Machine

Myanmar's sanctioned minister for immigration and population, U Myint Kyaing, visited Delhi and Bengaluru in India on July 24 to learn about the Aadhaar Unique Identity system. He had been sanctioned by the US, EU, and other nations due to his involvement in Myanmar's junta and its repressive policies, including restrictions on citizens' movement and mistreatment of Rohingya minorities. The EU had recently included him in sanctions for supporting the coup and undermining democracy. During his visit, Myint Kyaing was briefed on India's Aadhaar system at the UIDAI Technology Centre in Bengaluru and visited the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in the city. He also visited the regional office of the Aadhaar Centre in New Delhi.

On August 14, the UEC demonstrated the use of Myanmar Electronic Voting Machine (MEVM) and held a trial voting in Naypyidaw. Details and reactions are available here.

August 2023 – Key Takeaways from the Junta’s 22nd Press Conference

The Myanmar junta has currently no intention to engage in peace negotiations with the opposition. This stance was reiterated in the press briefing by General Zaw Min Tun, the spokesperson for the junta. Furthermore, Zaw Min Tun articulated that entities designated as terrorist organizations by the junta administration would need to publicly renounce their engagement in terrorist activities and such a gesture would prompt the junta administration to reconsider the possibility of initiating peace talks.

Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun also attempted to stir up hatred between Kachin and Bamar people. In his response to questions from pro-junta media outlets, the junta spokesman said three times that he was staggered by the fact that Bamar people are willing to kill each other with weapons supplied by the KIA. Zaw Min Tun also stated that the military intends to hold the elections (or the electoral exercise, the term we prefer to use). He added that safety will be guaranteed for the voters and the election will be fair and correct.

Myanmar junta's message is clear - they have no intention to reduce or stop the ongoing violence against civilian targets. The message also underscores the prolonged nature of the nation's ongoing civil conflict.

September 2023 – Ongoing Violence and Human Rights Violations against Journalists and Media

Photojournalist Sai Zaw Thaike was arrested in western Rakhine state while he was reporting for Myanmar Now on the fallout from Cyclone Mocha on May 23 and he faced four charges, including breaching a natural disaster law and a telecommunications law. On September 6, 2023, a court inside Yangon's Insein Prison jailed him for 20 years, the longest-known prison term for a media professional since the 2021 coup. Myanmar Now has indicated that the charges for which Sai Zaw Thaike has been convicted remain unclear. He had been detained without access to a lawyer or family visits in advance of the trial.

Freedom of speech is critical to free and fair elections. The Myanmar military has perpetrated a regime to crush free speech. This has included a growing list of humanitarian crimes against journalists and media outlets reporting in and on behalf of the country. The latest figures from RSF show that 66 journalists and three media workers are currently detained in Myanmar. We have also regularly updated our database of the Myanmar junta's crimes against journalists and media outlets.

October 2023 Onwards – Operation 1027 and What It Means for the Future of Myanmar

In a statement released on October 27, the three Brotherhood Alliance (3BHA), consisting of the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Arakan Army (AA), and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), said it had begun Operation 1027 in Shan State. The Diplomat reported that “Operation 1027 marks a defining moment in Myanmar’s revolution” and that “this operation is not merely a military offensive; it is also a symbol of the enduring spirit and resourcefulness of Myanmar’s peoples and their People’s Defense Forces (PDFs), their burgeoning alliances with the country’s long-established ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), and the unflagging public support for the struggle.” The Institute for Strategy and Policy – Myanmar (ISP-Myanmar) also detailed the potential consequences of Operation 1027 in a thoroughly researched and crafted insight here. ISP-Myanmar assessed that the success of the operation demonstrates “Myanmar’s military weakness and loss of popular support in northern Shan State” and Myanmar military’s “intelligence and security failure at the same time losing the will to fight.” In this op-ed, the Washington Post's editorial board claimed that "The world needs to start thinking about what would follow a regime collapse, even if one is still a long way off" and urged the United States government to "promote and prepare the National Unity Government, starting serious talks with representatives now."