Over 400 charged for ‘sabotaging’ elections, regime reports
Regime media reported on Jan. 21 that 404 people – 324 males and 80 females – nationwide have been prosecuted under the Election Protection Law since its enactment on July 29. Sources close to the regime police force in Ayeyarwady Region told DVB that 24 residents have been arrested for “disrupting” the military’s 2025-26 elections since October.
A family member of one of the 24 residents arrested in Ayeyarwady under the law told DVB that a woman named Mya Thida from Hinthada Township was arrested for allegedly sharing a post on social media that criticized the military elections, which ended on Jan. 25. Hinthada is located 86 miles (138 km) northeast of the Ayeyarwady Region capital Pathein.
Eighty-four have been formally arrested with 269 charged and nine convicted under the Election Protection Law since July, according to DVB data. Forty-five people were arrested and 18 people faced charges under the law in Yangon Region. It carries a minimum sentence of three years in prison to a maximum penalty of death.
APHR denounces military-proxy election victory
The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), a network of current and former lawmakers from across Southeast Asia, stated on Tuesday that the results of the military’s 2025-26 elections in Burma, were “predictable” with the military-proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) reportedly winning a landslide victory without any opposition parties on the ballot.
APHR added that an electoral process run by the military, which seized power in a coup on Feb. 1, 2021, lacked legitimacy, public participation, and “shielded war criminals.” It declared that polls couldn’t be considered “free, fair or credible” after the National League for Democracy (NLD) party, ousted from government in the 2021 coup, was disbanded by the military’s Union Election Commission (UEC).
It called on ASEAN 2026 Chair the Philippines to refuse to recognize the results of the “sham” elections by supporting the people of Burma who want a return to democracy. The USDP reportedly won 181 seats out of the 202 seats available in the Pyithu Hluttaw, or upper house of parliament, and 52 out of 78 seats in the Amyotha Hluttaw, or upper house, in the first two rounds of voting on Dec. 28 and Jan. 11, according to the UEC.
Myanmar to dominate ASEAN meeting in the Philippines
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Meeting starts today in Cebu, Philippines. It was preceded by the Senior Officials’ Meeting on Jan. 27, as well as an informal consultation on the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus, which is the regional bloc’s peace plan for Burma, and an “Extended Informal Consultation” on Jan. 28. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting ends on Jan. 29.
“The issue of Myanmar will continue to feature prominently. In this context, we are very encouraged that the Philippines’ chairmanship will continue Malaysia’s efforts in engaging with Myanmar stakeholders,” said Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Amran Mohamed Zin. “We conducted 200 engagements [on Burma], including four stakeholder meetings in Malaysia,” he added.
Burma’s political crisis, which started after the 2021 coup, will be high on the agenda as Malaysia supports the Philippines as 2026 ASEAN chair with continuity on Burma through its Troika mechanism, which includes the future ASEAN chair Singapore. Malaysia and the Philippines have both stated that ASEAN would not recognize the results of the military’s 2025-26 elections, which ended on Jan. 25.
News by Region
AYEYARWADY—Residents in Hinthada and Maubin townships, located 86-100 miles (138-160 km) northeast and east of the region’s capital Pathein, told DVB that at least two people have drowned and 340 homes have been evacuated due to land erosion along the Toe, Ngawun and Irrawaddy rivers last year.
An aid worker told DVB that over 400 residents were impacted by landslides. A Maubin resident said that families living in eight homes were relocated in one single day, but that regime administrators provided no assistance. Residents told DVB they wanted the local government to implement riverbank protection measures before erosion worsens further.
BAGO—The Women’s Organization of Political Prisoners (WOPP) stated on Monday that human rights abuses are ongoing at Bago’s Daik-U Prison as political prisoners haven’t been provided with healthy food and healthcare services are being deliberately denied, which is harming their lives.
It added that prison authorities threatened political prisoners when they released statements regarding their conditions. WOPP called for the immediate release of all political prisoners and an end to human rights violations inside the prison. It urged the international community to take action.
SAGAING—Three civilians were killed and at least 12 others were injured by two rounds of airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force on a residential area and a school in Ngapioh village of Shwebo Township on Monday, residents told DVB. Shwebo is located 58 miles (93 km) northeast of the region’s capital Monywa.
A Shwebo resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity that there was no fighting between regime forces and the People’s Defense Force (PDF) in the area. A PDF member claimed that two fighter jets from Mandalay’s Tada-U Air Force base carried out the airstrikes, destroying an unknown number of homes and the school.
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