Kachin Independence Army rejects regime’s 2025-26 elections in Kachin State

The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) told DVB that it will not be hosting the regime’s 2025-26 elections – with voting dates on Dec. 28, Jan. 11 and Jan. 25, 2026 – in territory under its control, nor will it recognize the results.

Naw Bu, the KIA spokesperson, told DVB that it cannot guarantee the safety of those involved in the electoral process led by the Union Election Commission (UEC), which has been constructing poll stations with security provided by regime forces. He urged residents of Kachin State not to vote in the regime polls.

He added that four residents of Bhamo Township in southern Kachin were injured by airstrikes carried out by the Myanmar Air Force on Dec. 22. KIA-led resistance forces have been carrying out daily attacks on Infantry Battalion 47 and its surrounding three-mile (5 km) area in Bhamo, according to Naw Bu.