Myanmar's junta said this week it had arrested more than 200 people under a new law against undermining elections, drawing criticism from a monitoring group that the legislation is being used to block criticism of the regime and prevent scrutiny.
The military government is set to begin a general election on December 28, the first since a 2021 coup overthrew the civilian administration.
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), which served as an accredited international observer during the 2015 and 2020 polls, said in an assessment that the election protection law enacted by the junta in July is a major concern.
Myanmar authorities have charged at least 229 people under the law for attempting to sabotage the election process, the junta-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported this week.
It did not provide details on those charged or exactly what punishment they faced. Myanmar junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun did not respond to calls seeking comment.
The law prohibits actions aimed at disrupting the election as well as staging protests, including criticism on social media. Those convicted of breaking the law can face punishments ranging from three years in prison to the death penalty.
The law has been used against young people putting up boycott stickers, film directors and artists who posted reactions on social media, and to charge journalists, according to ANFREL.
"Rather than ensuring peaceful, competitive elections, the Election Protection Law is being deployed to silence dissent, deter protests, and block independent scrutiny – turning any form of election monitoring into a criminal risk," the group said.
Election amid civil war
Several countries, the United Nations, and rights groups have described the upcoming multi-phase elections as a sham designed to keep Myanmar's ruling generals in power through proxies, although the junta insists the polls have public support.
Over 100 townships, including the commercial capital of Yangon, will vote in the first phase of the elections in late December, followed by another 100 in the second phase on January 11. The details of a possible third phase are yet to be announced.
The elections will be held amidst a raging civil war, triggered by the 2021 coup in which the military ousted an elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
Her party remains dissolved under the junta's directions and several other political groups are also boycotting the polls, drawing international criticism over the credibility of the elections.
The junta, however, has defended its plan to go ahead with the polls.
"The election is being conducted for the people of Myanmar, not for the international community," junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun said at a press conference in Yangon last week, according to the state-run newspaper.
"Whether the international community is satisfied or not, is irrelevant."
