Athan’s Media Monitoring : The Myanmar Junta’s “Sham” Election & The Crackdown on Dissent
Subject: Monitoring of arrests and lawsuits under the “Election Protection Law” ahead of the 2025 General Election
1. Executive Summary
The Myanmar junta has announced a multi-stage general election scheduled to begin on December 28, 2025. Widely condemned by the international community and independent observers as a “sham,” this process is viewed as a mechanism to legitimize prolonged military rule rather than as a means to restore democracy.
Athan’s media monitoring indicates a sharp rise in politically motivated arrests and lawsuits, specifically leveraging the newly enacted “Law on the Protection of Multiparty Democratic General Elections from Obstruction, Disruption, and Destruction” (enacted July 2025). Rather than protecting the integrity of the vote, this law is being weaponized to criminalize any speech, boycott, or non-violent protest against the regime’s election.
2. Background: The 2025 Election Timeline
- Scheduled Dates: The junta has confirmed the first-phase election starting on December 28, 2025, with subsequent rounds planned for January 2026.
- Context: This will be the first election since the 2021 coup annulled the NLD’s landslide victory.
- Security Landscape: Voting will not occur in at least 63 townships under martial law, as well as in significant territories controlled by Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) and People’s Defense Forces (PDFs).
- International Reaction: The UN, EU, and several major democratic countries have labeled the process “neither free nor fair.”
3. Legal Framework of Suppression
The primary instrument of suppression identified in this monitoring period is the Election Protection Law, which was enacted on July 29, 2025.
Key Provisions:
- Section 23(a): Criminalizes “incitement to destroy the election,” “delivering speeches,” or “distributing letters/online content” that disrupts the process.
- Section 24 (a): Threatening, obstructing, or using undue influence—whether directly or indirectly—to prevent a voter from casting their vote is designated as a criminal offense.
- Penalties: Punishments range from severe prison terms (minimum 3 years) up to life imprisonment or even the death penalty for acts deemed to cause death or severe disruption.
- Scope: The law explicitly targets “obstruction” of the polls, which the regime interprets as any call for a boycott or criticism of the election commission (UEC).