Myanmar Election: UN Expert Urges UK to Seek Opposition

A UN Special Rapporteur is urging the UK government to condemn Myanmar’s upcoming military junta-orchestrated election as a potential “sham” and to continue its support for human rights in the region.

Myanmar Election Faces International Scrutiny

Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, stated, “I urge the UK Government to proactively reach out to other Governments, especially those in Asia, to ensure they do the same. A strong, coordinated rejection of these sham elections is essential to deny the junta the means to fabricate credibility and legitimacy.”

Myanmar’s junta announced plans for a national election on December 28, citing a need to promote political stability and mitigate violence stemming from the country’s ongoing civil war. However, the election has drawn criticism from Human Rights Watch, which has highlighted the junta’s repeated use of arbitrary detentions and increasing instances of sexual and gender-based violence.

Recent reports indicate the junta arrested a man for “anti-election” messages on Facebook, and an anti-junta group reportedly detained a prospective election candidate in central Myanmar’s Magway Region.

Andrews also pointed to a lack of recent action from the UK, noting, “While the military continues to escalate its attacks on civilian targets, there have been no new targeted UK sanctions issued against the junta since October 2024 and protection pathways for desperate Myanmar people appear to be narrowing under newly announced policies.” He also critiqued the UN Security Council’s response as having “fallen short,” urging the UK Government to increase visibility of the crisis and demand accountability.

In November, Charles Kent, UK Senior Human Rights Officer and expert on the situation in Myanmar, expressed the government’s concerns regarding the junta’s use of gender-based and sexual violence. The UK government maintains that a meaningful election requires an end to violence and dialogue among all parties, and has stated there are no indications the planned elections will be free or fair, risking further violence and hindering genuine solutions.

The ongoing civil war recently saw a junta air strike on December 10, 2025, strike a 300-bed hospital in western Myanmar, resulting in at least 34 deaths and numerous injuries. International human rights law protects medical facilities from attack to safeguard vulnerable citizens.

The junta is currently receiving technological and equipment support from China and Russia, further complicating efforts to resolve the conflict.