GENEVA - As Myanmar marks five years since the coup, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk today deplored that the conduct of recent military-imposed elections failed to respect the fundamental human rights of the country's citizens, and that the process served only to exacerbate violence and societal polarization.
"After the military grabbed power from the democratically elected government, Myanmar lost half a decade of peace and development," Türk said. "The profound and widespread despair inflicted on the people of Myanmar has only deepened with the recent election staged by the military."
"Many people chose either to vote or not to vote purely out of fear, flatly at odds with their internationally guaranteed civil and political rights - and with ripple effects on their enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights. The conflict and insecurity continued unabated in large parts of the country. Opposition candidates and some ethnic groups were excluded."
Elections were held in only 263 of 330 townships, often exclusively in urban centers under military control, and limited in conflict areas. As a result, large segments of the population, especially the displaced and minorities, such as the ethnic Rohingya, were excluded.
Credible sources verified that 170 civilians were killed in some 408 military aerial attacks reported by open sources during the voting period - between December 2025 and January 2026. According to initial reports, on 22 January, in Bhamo Township, in Kachin State, a military airstrike on a populated area with no reported presence of combatants killed up to 50 civilians. Armed groups opposed to the military also reportedly attacked some election sites and election officials.
To curb any dissent, the military arrested 324 men and 80 women under its unilaterally adopted election protection law, including for minor online activity. It imposed grossly disproportionate penalties. In one case, a 49-year sentence was handed down for posting anti-election materials.
Voter coercion was reported nationwide. In one emblematic incident on 6 January 2026, over 100 villagers in the Sagaing region were arbitrarily detained and compelled to cast advance ballots. They were released the following day. Others reported voting under the fear of forced conscription, losing access to food, or suffering administrative consequences such as denial of border passes, passport renewals or university registrations. Still others reported having been threatened by armed groups not to vote.
The main opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party - which won the previous vote in 2020 - and dozens of other parties opposed to the military's rule, were banned from the vote. Many leaders have been detained.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for all those arbitrarily detained to be released immediately, including NLD leader Aung Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, both of whom remain held at undisclosed locations with no information about their condition and wellbeing.
"For five years now, the military's rule has been characterized by repression of political dissent, mass arbitrary arrests, arbitrary conscription, widespread surveillance and limitation of civic space," Türk said. "Now, the military is seeking to entrench its rule-by-violence after forcing people to the ballot box. This couldn't be further from civilian rule."
"The military's usurpation of power has also been accompanied by disastrous mismanagement of the country's economy," he added. "Almost a quarter of the population is now faced with high levels of acute food insecurity, and over a third are in urgent humanitarian need. I fear this is only set to deteriorate further."
"I call on the international community, particularly those States with influence, to redouble efforts to end the violence. Now is the time to find new pathways to restoring democracy and respect for all human rights, as demanded by the Myanmar people for half a decade," Türk said.
