APHR condemns Myanmar junta’s election as an attempt to entrench military rule

Mizzima

ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) released a statement on 26 December, strongly condemning the Myanmar military junta’s planned elections as illegal and undemocratic, warning that the polls are a political ploy to legitimize continued military rule amid widespread violence, human rights abuses, and the collapse of democratic governance in Myanmar.

The text of the APHR statement continues below.

Since seizing power, the junta—led by Min Aung Hlaing—has unleashed unprecedented violence and impunity against the Myanmar people. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), over 7,000 civilians were killed, including more than 900 children. More than 25,000 remain arbitrarily detained, with countless subjected to torture and extrajudicial killings. The junta have displaced over 3.5 million people internally, and driven over 1.5 million refugees across borders.

Ongoing violence continues unabated, with attacks on healthcare facilities, airstrikes, and village burnings documented across conflict zones. The junta lifted its nationwide state of emergency in July 2025 but immediately imposed martial law in 63 townships across Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Sagaing, Magway, Mandalay, Rakhine, and Shan, transferring all administrative and judicial powers to military commanders and enabling further atrocities.