UN accuses Myanmar junta of using ‘brutal violence’ to coerce voters ahead of elections

The United Nations on Tuesday accused Myanmar’s military junta of using violence and intimidation to coerce citizens into voting in upcoming military-controlled elections, while armed opposition groups were also employing threats to discourage participation.

In a statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged Myanmar’s military authorities to halt the use of brutal force to compel voting and to stop arresting individuals for expressing dissenting views.

The junta is set to begin voting on Sunday, promoting the tightly restricted polls as a return to democracy five years after it overthrew the country’s elected government, a move that plunged Myanmar into a prolonged civil war. Former civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains imprisoned, and her widely popular party was dissolved following the February 2021 coup that ended a decade of democratic reforms.

International observers have dismissed the phased, month-long election as an attempt to rebrand continued military rule. Türk, who last month described holding elections under current conditions as “unfathomable,” warned that civilians were being threatened by both military authorities and armed resistance groups over their involvement in the vote.

The UN rights office cited reports of dozens of people detained under an “election protection law” for exercising freedom of expression, many receiving extremely harsh sentences. It highlighted the case of three youths in Yangon’s Hlainghaya Township who were sentenced to between 42 and 49 years in prison for hanging anti-election posters.

The statement also referred to reports from displaced people in several regions, including Mandalay, who were warned they would face attacks or lose their homes if they did not return to vote. Türk stressed that forcing displaced people to undertake unsafe and involuntary returns constitutes a human rights violation.

At the same time, the UN noted serious threats from armed groups opposing the military. This included the reported abduction last month of nine women teachers from Kyaikto while they were traveling to attend election-related training. They were later released with warnings from their abductors.

The statement further cited bomb attacks claimed by the self-declared Yangon Army on administration offices in Hlegu and North Okkalapa townships, which injured several election workers. The group has vowed to continue targeting election organizers.

“These elections are clearly taking place in an environment of violence and repression,” Türk said, adding that conditions do not exist for the free exercise of expression, association, or peaceful assembly required for meaningful public participation.