Myanmar in Turmoil: A Sham Election Amid Ongoing Oppression (July–August 2025)

As we move through August 2025, my heart remains heavy with frustration, anger, and deep concern. Myanmar’s military junta is once again pushing forward with plans for elections—elections that can only be described as a distant echo of democracy, stripped of its substance and legitimacy. In the face of constant terror, civil war, and economic collapse, I am unequivocally opposed to this orchestrated spectacle.

A Farce, Not Democracy

The junta claims to offer “elections,” but we must call it what it truly is: a charade. Under a regime that continues to commit atrocities—detaining dissidents, bombing civilians, and crushing ethnic communities—these so-called elections serve only to validate its grip on power. The people of Myanmar are not seeking false hope; we are demanding genuine democracy and accountability.

According to BBC reporting, the military has extended its repeated one-party dominance, ensuring that no real opposition can participate under fair conditions. This sham hides behind a façade of legality, but the world cannot be fooled. Democracy cannot be restored through coercion, censorship, and weaponized violence. The junta does not deserve the legitimacy that holding an election superficially grants.

Violence in the Lead-Up to Voting

Leading up to this “election,” violence has only escalated. CNN analysis shows the junta’s forces continue to commit grave violations—including forced labor, arbitrary arrests, and attacks on civilians. These abuses extend right up to the polling day, underscoring how hollow the promise of choice has become when voters live in fear.

How can any vote be free when ballots are cast beneath the shadow of a gun? When those who oppose the regime are imprisoned or worse? When ethnic minorities are displaced, their communities destroyed, and their rights ignored? There is no meaningful voice in these elections, only the illusion of one.

My Heartache, My Resolve

I write not only as a citizen of Myanmar, but as someone whose people are continuously betrayed. The pain of displacement, fear, and loss is compounded when the rulers stage democracy as a spectacle rather than allow its free expression. I am profoundly anguished that, while families rebuild from earthquake rubble or flee violence, the junta chooses façade over healing.

My anger is not born of selfishness—it is borne of love for my country and sorrow for its suffering. The people do not need hollow words disguised as legitimacy. We need action. Release political prisoners. Respect human rights. End airstrikes on villages. Rebuild the economy. Restore our freedom to speak, to assemble, and to choose our own leaders in safety.

The World Must Not Be Silent

I implore the global community: do not let this election fool you. Do not offer the junta credibility simply because it hosts a poll. Support Myanmar’s people, not its oppressors. Ensure impartial monitoring. Demand humanitarian access. Impose meaningful sanctions that target the junta’s revenue streams—not the citizens.

Our struggle is not for show. It is for our lives, our futures, and our right to self-determination. The world must stand with Myanmar—not in token solidarity, but in unwavering support for democracy, peace, and justice.

The people of Myanmar are watching, resisting, and enduring. I am with them—in sadness, in anger, and in hope that one day, real democracy will rise again over the ashes of ruin.

Sources:

• BBC: Myanmar junta extends its one-party election cycle

• BBC: Obstacles to genuine voting in Myanmar

• CNN: Myanmar’s election and the ongoing atrocities

Photo Source: Santosh Krl/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Inmages/File