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Myanmar junta seeks to prosecute hundreds for election 'disruption'
The Freeman
|December 18, 2025
Myanmar's junta said Wednesday it was seeking to prosecute more than 200 people for "disruption" of upcoming military-run elections, wielding new legislation rights monitors say aims to crush dissent.
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The junta is touting phased elections starting December 28 as a step towards reconciliation in Myanmar, which has been consumed by civil war since the military snatched power in a 2021 coup.
Opposition factions are set to block the polls in areas of the country they control, and prominent international monitors have dismissed the ballots as a pretext for continuing military rule.
The junta introduced legislation in July to shield the election from "obstruction, disruption and destruction", with clauses forbidding criticism or protest against the vote, and outlining severe punishments.
"A total of 229 people" are being pursued for prosecution under the law "for attempting to sabotage election processes", junta home affairs minister Tun Tun Naung said Wednesday, according to state media.
This story is from the December 18, 2025 edition of The Freeman.
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