"After arresting political opponents, banning the most popular political party and using violence to crush dissent, the military's proxy is on course to win by a landslide. This is a fake election, says a man who voted on Sunday in Mandalay, the second most populous city, his finger freshly dipped in purple ink. Like many, he voted only out of fear, worried that junta officials could retaliate if he stayed home."
"After seizing power in a coup five years ago, imprisoning Aung San Suu Kyi the then state counsellor and de facto leader, and ousting her government, security forces gunned down pro-democracy protesters in the streets and went door-to-door arresting people who opposed its rule. Many took up arms in response, triggering a war that has swept across the country, drawing in ethnic armed groups that have long fought with the military."
Voting occurred under pervasive fear and coercion, with the military-backed party poised for a landslide after arresting opponents, banning the main party, and crushing dissent. Many civilians voted reluctantly under watch of police and election officials; some feared retaliation for abstaining. The 2021 coup imprisoned Aung San Suu Kyi, and security forces have killed protesters, arrested dissenters and committed atrocities including torching homes, massacres and airstrikes. Armed resistance grew, drawing in long-standing ethnic armed groups and spreading conflict into rural regions where voting was cancelled. Urban polling proceeded under armed police while communities live amid ongoing violence and displacement.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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