Myanmar’s Upcoming Election Raises Global Concerns Over Human Rights.

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In light of continuous human rights violations in Myanmar, the international community is urging immediate action. Fears of further deterioration have risen after the military announced that elections will be held in December 2025.

In July 2025, the junta passed a law prohibiting any acts that could potentially undermine the electoral process, including the rights to free speech, protest, and association. The people of Myanmar are already subjected to severe and documented human rights violations. More in depth, the military and other armed groups are reportedly repressing any form of dissent through forced recruitment, torture, and airstrike on civilians, among other abuses. The Rohingya and other ethnic minorities are the most affected, with 200,000 people displaced in a single day in May 2024.

The electoral campaign has already begun, as the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has recently held different events in the capital to promote the elections. Voting is expected to occur in many active war zones, while numerous opposition parties have been banned and forced to disband. NGOs and the European Union firmly oppose the elections, stating that, in light of the ongoing human rights violations, Myanmar’s junta lacks both the capacity and the credibility to carry out a democratic election.

Between 1962 and 2011, Myanmar spent decades under military rule. The country then began a gradual transition towards democracy, culminating in the historic 2015 elections, which decreed the victory of the National League for Democracy (NLD). However, the military maintained significant power and decided to seize full control through a coup in February 2021. This was opposed by hundreds who took to the streets to protest; however, the military responded with aggressive methods, arresting dissidents and killing many. Since then, an estimated 3.5 million people have been internally displaced and subjected to human rights violations.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his concerns that immediate elections could further destabilize Myanmar, while UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Türk stated that “conditions do not exist for free and representative elections”. Both Humans Rights Watch and Amnesty International have written an open letter to ASEAN, urging member states to address the ongoing crisis during the Summit held on 26-28 October 2025. The NGOs underlined the threats that an election under the current circumstances would pose to the population.

Official Sources:

• ABC News (2025) A military-backed party in Myanmar holds rallies as campaigning begins for December election https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/military-backed-party-myanmar-holds-rallies-campaigning-begins-126926534 

• Al Jazeera (2025) Campaigning begins in military-run Myanmar ahead of “sham” election https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/28/campaigning-begins-in-military-run-myanmar-ahead-of-sham-elections 

• Amnesty International (2025) Southeast Asia: ASEAN Summit must address deteriorating crisis in Myanmar and ongoing scam compound activity https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/10/southeast-asia-asean-summit-must-address-deteriorating-crisis-in-myanmar-and-ongoing-scam-compound-activity/ 

• BNI (2025) HRW urges ASEAN to act on Myanmar crisis ahead of October summits https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/hrw-urges-asean-act-myanmar-crisis-ahead-october-summits 

• The Guardian (2025) Myanmar civil war: a quick guide to the conflict https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/jan/31/why-is-myanmar-embroiled-in-conflict 

• UN News (2025) Rohingya plight in Myanmar, a ‘test for humanity’ https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/09/1166004 

written by Ludovica Muncibì