Twenty-five Karen groups join Karen National Union in rejecting the regime’s 2025-26 elections

Twenty-five Karen civil society groups “overseas,” led by the Karen National Union (KNU), released a statement on Monday that it has condemned the regime’s 2025-26 elections which are scheduled to begin on Dec. 28 and continue into January 2026. 

“This sham election is not about political reform or genuine peace in the country. History has already shown that the Burmese military is not interested in genuine peace and democracy, they just want to consolidate their power and continue their authoritarian rule,” Zoya Phan, the program director at Burma Campaign UK, told DVB. 

“For them, the election is a stepping stone towards continued military control,” she added. Burma Campaign UK is a member of the Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN), one of the 25 Karen civil society groups who signed the statement. 

They claimed that the military regime, via the Myanmar Air Force, has targeted civilians in KNU-controlled territory by carrying out airstrikes and drone attacks.