Facade of Freedom: Inside Burma’s Military-Staged Election

In the wake of yet another manipulated electoral process, the military rulers of Burma (Myanmar) are advancing what amounts to a sham election—a cynical ploy to cloak authoritarian rule in the veneer of democracy. This article unpacks how the generals orchestrated this charade, exposing the web of fraud, coercion and violence underpinning a vote that is anything but free and fair.

1. The context: Coup, emergency rule and the erosion of democracy

On 1 February 2021, the military via the Tatmadaw ousted the democratically elected government after the National League for Democracy (NLD) won a mandate in the 2020 election. Wikipedia The generals then repeatedly extended the state of emergency—using it to suspend civil liberties, defend their hold on power, and delay a genuine electoral return. Wikipedia The Guardian
Bold truth: The so-called return to elections is not a restoration of democracy but a manufactured legitimacy project.

2. The mechanics of manipulation

a) Legal restructuring and electoral engineering

The junta imposed new laws that severely restrict party registration, tighten candidate eligibility, and shift the electoral system to favor military-aligned proxies. Wikipedia
For example, a sudden switch to proportional representation and onerous membership/office-hold requirements for parties was introduced. Wikipedia
Bold truth: The rules of the game have been rigged in advance to ensure the generals’ preferred outcome.

b) Control of institutions and oversight

The electoral commission and relevant bodies are staffed or influenced by the military. Independent observers have been excluded or sidelined. Wikipedia
Bold truth: Without independent oversight, the election becomes a rubber-stamp for existing power rather than a means of change.

c) Violence, intimidation and exclusion

Even as the vote is being staged, the junta has escalated military operations, bombed civilian areas, displaced thousands and punished dissenters who challenge the election process. IUF Asia-Pacific AP News
One man was sentenced to seven years’ hard labour simply for criticising the election plan on social media. AP News
Bold truth: No credible election can occur when fear replaces free expression.

3. The façade of legitimacy and the global dimension

The regime is packaging this vote as a return to constitutional order—hoping to gain international recognition and lift sanctions. Analysts have warned that the election is being treated as a “solution” to the conflict, even though it entrenches the military’s power. IUF Asia-Pacific
Some foreign actors appear poised to accept the process, which has alarming implications for accountability. Bold truth: The world must not mistake theatre for transition.

4. What is at stake

a) For the people of Burma (Myanmar)

When an election is designed to legitimize an oppressive regime rather than reflect the will of the people, the result is not stability, but deepened conflict. The prospect of peace is undermined, not advanced. The Guardian
Bold truth: This election threatens to be a vehicle for authoritarian entrenchment, not democratic renewal.

b) For accountability and justice

With the generals using the election to reset their brand, they hope to evade scrutiny for past and current atrocities—air-strikes on civilian areas, forced labour, ethnic cleansing. Le Monde.fr
Bold truth: A sham vote is a shield for war crimes and systemic rights violations.

c) For regional and global norms

If the international community treats this orchestrated process as credible, it sets a dangerous precedent: that one can seize power in a coup, suspend democracy, then hold a tightly controlled election and return to legitimacy.

Bold truth: That would erode the concept of genuinely free and fair elections worldwide.

5. Exposing the military’s “dirty deeds”

Here’s a non‐exhaustive list of corrupt and coercive practices tied to the regime behind the election:

• Profits from state-owned enterprises and extractive industries flow into military coffers, rewarding loyalty and feeding the war machine. Burma Campaign UK

• Arms procurement from abroad, and military supply chains that finance and sustain repression. Burma Campaign UK

• Arbitrary arrests of activists, journalists and opposition figures who challenge the election or question legitimacy. AP News

• Massive displacement of civilians and targeting of ethnic minority communities, under-reported in the build-up to the vote. IUF Asia-Pacific
  Bold truth: This election is being constructed on the foundations of impunity, not reform.

6. Conclusion – The road ahead

The generals of Burma (Myanmar) are not organizing an election to hand over power—they are scripting a legitimacy exercise. They seek to recycle themselves into civilian dress while keeping real control behind the scenes. The electoral calendar, legal gymnastics, and PR spin are all part of a single strategy: to perpetuate military rule under the guise of democracy.

For meaningful change, the international community, civil society, and the people of Burma (Myanmar) must see through the façade—and resist the normalization of an inherently flawed process. An election without fairness, freedom or accountability is not an election at all—it is a rubber-stamp for dictatorship.

Bold truth: Only a genuine, inclusive process, grounded in autonomy for all ethnic groups that are given full autonomy and unshackled from military dominance, can claim to be a true election.

References

• Khin Ohmar. (2025, September 4). U.S. must not fall for the Myanmar generals’ dirty tricks again. Progressive Voice. Progressive Voice Myanmar

• IUF Asia/Pacific. (2025, October 20). The Myanmar military’s engineered elections 5: Bloody military escalation to make sham elections “better than nothing”. IUF Asia-Pacific

• Burma Campaign UK. (2022, January 24). Dirty List. Burma Campaign UK

• Reuters. (2024, March 25). Myanmar’s next election may not be nationwide, junta chief says. Reuters

• The Guardian. (2025, March 10). Myanmar junta’s promise of elections denounced as ‘sham’ by experts. The Guardian

• Associated Press. (2025, September 10). Man sentenced to 7 years of hard labour for criticizing Myanmar’s election plan. AP News

• Le Monde. (2025, May 15). Deadly air raids have increased in Myanmar despite truce since earthquake.