Mizzima-Aug 14
On 12 August, International IDEA issued a statement calling on the global community to reject support for Myanmar’s planned elections, emphasizing aid for its democracy movement and urging diplomatic efforts to avoid normalizing relations with the military junta. The statement continues as follows. International IDEA expresses grave concern over recent decisions taken by the military junta to dissolve the State Administration Council (SAC) and appoint a State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC) as an interim government in Myanmar, paving the way for the junta’s illegitimate election plan. On 31 July 2025, the junta declared an end to its unconstitutional state of emergency, which had been extended seven times since the February 2021 coup. Power was handed over to the SSPC as a new “interim government” that is almost identical to the SAC. These developments are not genuine reforms but a strategic repackaging of military rule to give a semblance of democratic legitimacy ahead of the junta’s planned elections in December 2025 and January 2026. The elections will not be a genuine democratic exercise but are a calculated attempt to undermine Myanmar’s legitimate interim government institutions, including the interim parliament, the Committee Representing the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw composed of MPs elected in 2020, and the broader democracy movement, which continue their efforts to design a future democratic union under the Federal Democracy Charter. To further deter resistance to the planned elections, the junta has declared a new “Law on the Prevention of Disruption and Interference with Elections”, which imposes harsh penalties—including the death penalty—for any acts of “sabotage or disruption” of the electoral process. The junta also issued a new cybersecurity law to criminalize the use of VPNs and penalize users who access banned social media sites or share information from them, granting the regime uncontrolled power to conduct online surveillance and arrest critics. These draconian laws contradict international human rights standards. Together, these measures are designed to suppress dissent, prevent meaningful political participation, and continue the junta’s campaign of human rights violations against Myanmar’s people—reinforcing the illegitimacy of the upcoming elections and the high risk of violence. International IDEA calls on the international community to reject and withhold any technical, material or political support for the junta’s planned elections. Read more at:
