North-East looks to Myanmar polls with minimal hope

As Myanmar (also known as Burma) heads for the next general elections, its adjacent northeastern region of India looks forward with a little hope for peace, progress and development in the e trouble-torn south Asian nation.

- NAVA THAKURIA

The Buddhist majority country of nearly 55 million people will embrace the so-called national elections after the military coup in 2021 that ousted a democratically elected government in Naypyitaw. The proposed three-phase polling, starting on 28 December 2025, will however prevent several important political parties including Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy (NLD, which won the last general elections in 2020) from participating in the electoral exercise.

The elections, where only the proxies of Burmese military junta are joining, will be one sided in their favour, and results are expected by the end of January.

However, the Land of Golden Pagodas is currently witnessing a civil war, where the Min Aung Hlaing-led Tatmadaw continue fighting against the people’s militia, resulting in thousands being killed, hundred thousand detained and millions displaced. In various battles under Operation 1027, which was launched in October 2023 by the anti-junta rebel groups, the government forces even faced humiliating defeats in some battle grounds. Currently half of the Burmese territories comprising important towns and military bases had gone out of the military’s control. The voting in those localities will be either impossible or lowly participating and hence a free, fair, and comprehensive election in the poverty stricken country still remains elusive.