The UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar has called the country's planned election in December 2025-January 2026 a "mirage."
"They're trying to create this mirage of an election exercise that will create a legitimate civilian government," Tom Andrews said Wednesday, ahead of the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council update on Myanmar.
The military junta in Myanmar seized power in a 2021 coup from the government of Aung San Suu Kyi, and this would be the first election since then.
He said: "You cannot have an election when you imprison and torture and execute your opponents, when it is illegal to report the truth as a journalist, when it's illegal to speak out and criticize the junta."
Myanmar's junta chief Min Aung Hlaing "pledged that the election will be held in December this year and January next year, adding that the government will create opportunities for all eligible voters to cast their votes," as well as stating preparations for "a free and fair election," during his speech at the Peace Forum 2025 held at the capital Naypyidaw on Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Information.
Andrews said: "UN member states should call this exercise for what it is, a charade and a fraud."
"The junta needs three things to sustain itself. Money, weapons, and legitimacy," he noted.
"We need to do more to support the people of Myanmar by denying the junta all three and there will be opportunities and an obligation to do so this year by denying any recognition of the junta's so-called election," he also said.
Andrews also called the election the junta's attempt to find an "exit ramp to the international pressure."
"It's really important that countries reject this idea of an election and not allow the military junta to attempt to get away with this fraud," he said, adding that it "doesn't cost any money to do so, but it would be extremely helpful if the UN member states were to make it very clear that this is going to be recognized not as an election but as a fraud. That would go a long way."
