According to recent statements, Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burma, warned of the serious consequences of legitimizing the current elections organized by the Myanmar military junta. Andrews stressed that accepting the results of these elections would mean supporting the continuation of repression and systematic violence against the population, as the Europa Press agency reported. According to Europa Press, the United Nations representative called on the international community not to recognize the results of this electoral process, saying it was a maneuver without legitimacy sponsored by the military government.
The UN envoy stressed that election day this Sunday took place in an environment marked by bombings of civilians, arrests of opposition leaders and the criminalization of any expression of dissent. Andrews stated that “an election organized by a junta that continues to bomb civilians, imprison political leaders and criminalize all forms of dissent is not elections, but a theater of the absurd carried out at gunpoint. This is not a way out of the crisis in Myanmar. It is a ploy that will perpetuate oppression, division and conflict,” as he posted on his official account on the social network X and was quoted by Europa Press.
The Special Rapporteur explained that the basis of the electoral process was coercion, repression and violence, strategies used by the military authorities to establish and maintain the current regime. Andrews warned that recognizing this process would mean “rewarding a regime that continues to commit daily atrocities and undermine the ongoing fight for a democratic future,” Europa Press reported. For these reasons, he reiterated his call for governments to expressly reject both the method and the results of these elections, which he described as “fraudulent”; He also denounced increasing pressure from the body on citizens to enforce their participation in the elections.
Regarding the characteristics of the elections, Europa Press explained that this Sunday saw the first phase of the general elections, the first national elections since the 2020 votes. The official calendar provides for two additional phases: the second on January 11th and the third on the 25th of this month. These elections, carried out under the control of the military administration, were called despite the internal war that the country has been waging since the coup in February 2021 and in a climate of strong criticism and calls for internal and international boycotts.
Andrews stressed that this electoral process will not resolve the underlying crisis in Myanmar, but rather will exacerbate repression, deepen internal divisions and perpetuate the current state of conflict. The official reiterated that holding elections in the current scenario cannot be seen as a legitimate response to the country’s structural problems, Europa Press reported. According to the media, the call to ignore the election results is part of an international strategy aimed at preventing the military junta from receiving the political endorsement necessary to maintain its current policies of repression and control.
According to international reports collected by Europa Press, these elections come against the backdrop of ongoing military actions as well as a series of violations of the population’s fundamental rights. Since the military coup in February 2021, the junta has consolidated its power amid clashes and repression, leading to a humanitarian crisis and a steady deterioration of political and social conditions in Myanmar. There have been repeated reports of persecution of opposition politicians, activists and ordinary citizens, and numerous international organizations have called for a transition to democratic civilian rule, a demand that the junta has not yet addressed.
The recent elections are taking place in a scenario of internal confrontation with regions of the country affected by the armed conflict and the real impossibility of ensuring the integrity and freedom of choice of citizens. Pressuring people to participate in the electoral process is part of the tactics Andrews cites as an example of the current lack of political freedom. Europa Press explained that the calling of these elections did not respond to the demands of democratic institutions or civil society, but rather the interests of the military junta to maintain control and consolidate its dominance over the country.
As Europa Press reports, various governments and multilateral organizations have expressed reservations about holding these elections and called for appropriate conditions to ensure legitimate political processes that represent all Burmese communities. Despite these requests, the military administration pushed ahead with the organization of the elections, ignoring international criticism and warnings about the consequences that legitimizing the process could bring.
In this sense, the position of the Special Rapporteur and the calls to the international community aim to increase political and diplomatic pressure not to recognize the results and to demand respect for human rights and the implementation of a democratic transition in Myanmar. According to Europa Press, the situation will continue to attract global attention due to the potential impact on both the Burmese population and regional stability.
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