Myanmar election faces legitimacy questions

As the Myanmar junta concludes the first day of its planned three-phase general election, international media, academics and Myanmar’s independent media have raised questions about its legitimacy.

Htin Kyaw Aye, Executive Director of Spring Sprouts, said voting was cancelled in 65 townships today, a record high when compared to previous elections.

He added that the number of polling stations has been reduced from nearly 40,000 in the 2020 election to about 20,000 this year. “That’s millions of voters intentionally disenfranchised by the military junta,” he said, noting that millions more have chosen to boycott the election as an act of resistance.

More than 40 popular political parties, including the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), have been disbanded under new election rules. Observers say that this further demonstrates that the election will not reflect the will of the people.

Concerns over security conditions were also raised at the ‘Collaborative Media Monitoring Program’ organised by Thai PBS and over 20 international media organisations and academics.

“The Burmese military is conducting a lot of military operations, including ground and air attacks, mostly in ethnic areas, especially on election day,” said Thet Swe Win, the executive director of Synergy-Social Harmony Organisation.

He told Thai PBS World that one panelist, scheduled to speak at today’s session, was unable to cross into Thailand. “The last message that she sent me was that the situation at the border was intense… About thirty people from her area, who were trying to cross the border, were arrested. She has already tried twice… It has been two days already. I got no reply, no information from her. I’m really worried.”

While some argue that holding an election, however flawed, is better than none, veteran Burmese activist Khin Omar disagrees.

“After this sham election, the Myanmar military will have a chance to claim to the world that they have held an election, even though it is not free, fair or credible. Then they will claim legitimacy from the world. What they want is for the world to recognise them as the official government of Myanmar”, said Khin Omar.

The prospect of a nominally democratic government also presents a challenge for the international community, especially ASEAN. “If ASEAN chooses to remain silent right now, it will face great difficulty in not inviting back the junta’s political representation after the election”, opined Dr. Surachanee Sriyai, a visiting fellow of ISEAS Yusof-Ishak Institute.

She also refers to the current protectionist global political climate, in which countries increasingly prioritise self-interest. “What it means for Myanmar is that some external actors are so preoccupied with their own issues that they fail to articulate their clear stance on the Myanmar election”.

The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported that the first two phases of voting in Myanmar today, and on January 11th, will cover 202 out of a total of 330 townships. The third phase will be held on January 25th in 63 townships.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar Internet Project reports that, in the lead-up to the election, the junta has intensified digital repression, including surveillance, information control and selective internet connectivity.