Union Election Commission ‘threatens’ candidates
The regime’s Union Election Commission (UEC) states that insulting or defaming rival political parties, or candidates, during the electoral process could be considered a malpractice and even a criminal offence. Than Soe, the UEC chairperson, said this to representatives from 57 political parties at a meeting in the capital Naypyidaw on Monday.
An independent candidate running in the regime’s 2025-26 elections told DVB on the condition of anonymity that the UEC chairperson made indirect threats against candidates for criticizing the military-proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which won 88 out of 96 seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw, or lower house of parliament, during the first phase of voting on Dec. 28.
The UEC announced on Jan. 5 that the USDP also won 10 out of 18 seats in the Amyotha Hluttaw, or upper house of parliament, based on preliminary election results. Six million out of over 11 million voters cast their ballots on Dec. 28, according to the UEC, which added that official results will be announced after the final phase of voting concludes on Jan. 25. Read more
Nearly 2,000 women killed in Myanmar since 2021 coup
At least 1,986 women, including 373 girls under the age of 18, have been killed by the regime since it seized power during a military coup on Feb. 1, 2021, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) on Thursday.
“Women have been deliberately targeted by the junta through killings, arbitrary arrest, sexual violence, torture, and other grave human rights violations,” stated the AAPP, a human rights documentation group founded by former Myanmar political prisoners in neighbouring Thailand.
The AAPP went on to state that 75 percent of the total number of women killed was by airstrikes and heavy weaponry used by the military against civilians. The remaining 25 percent of victims were killed by arson, shootings, and sexual violence, as well murder, torture, and health complications while held in regime detention. Read more
White Tiger Party requests ‘free and fair’ elections
The Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP), also known as the White Tiger Party, won one parliamentary seat in the Pyithu Hluttaw, or lower house, for Langkho Township, located in southern Shan State 126 miles (202 km) southeast of the state capital Taunggyi, after preliminary election results were released by the UEC after the first phase of voting.
Sai Aik Paung, the SNDP chairperson, told DVB that he filed a complaint about the fairness of the elections to regime leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing after the UEC preliminary results showed the military-proxy USDP had won 88 out of 96 seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw after ballots were counted following the first round of voting.
“I requested the elections to be conducted in a free and fair manner,” Sai Aik Paung told DVB. Founded in 2010, the SNDP won 58 parliamentary seats in the 2010 elections and one parliamentary seat in the 2020 elections – both considered free and fair by international election observers. Read more
News by Region
KACHIN—N’Ban La, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) chairperson, gave a New Year’s address on Jan. 2 stating that the USDP is using the regime elections “to institutionalize military rule” in Burma nearly five years after the 2021 coup.
N’Ban La called for unity among all resistance forces in Burma opposing the 2021 coup, adding that the KIO is determined “to consolidate strength.” The KIO has accused regime forces of targeting civilians in territory under its control but didn’t reference any specific attacks or number of casualties.
KARENNI—The Karenni Political Prisoners Association (KPPA) told DVB that no political prisoners were among the 28 inmates released from Loikaw Prison in the state capital during an amnesty granted to 6,186 people to mark Burma’s 78th Independence Day on Sunday.
Loikaw Prison holds at least 100 political prisoners, according to the KPPA, which added that most inmates released were convicted of crimes such as drug use and theft. The regime also released 52 foreigners from prisons across the country on Jan. 4.
MAGWAY—The Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM) announced on Monday that 35 political prisoners at Magway Prison were beaten by prison guards with batons and electrical wires and placed into solitary confinement for allegedly not obeying prison rules on Dec. 8.
It also claimed that the authorities restricted the number of visitors and food items provided by family members to inmates at Magway Prison. The PPNM called on Magway Prison authorities to stop mistreating prisoners, adding that they are violating international prison standards.
SAGAING—Five civilians were killed and at least 10 others were injured by airstrikes in Kongyi village carried out by the Burma Air Force on Monday, the People’s Defense Force (PDF) in Khin-U Township told DVB. Khin-U is located 79 miles (127 km) northeast of the region’s capital Monywa.
A PDF spokesperson told DVB that a jet from Tada-U Air Force base in neighbouring Mandalay Region dropped bombs on a school. Attacks on schools are a violation of international law, which could constitute a war crime. Nine civilians in Khin-U were killed by previous airstrikes on Dec. 27.
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