In brief
The United Nations reports that at least 170 individuals have lost their lives due to military air strikes in Myanmar during a controversial election period that has been labeled a sham by numerous nations and human rights advocates. The air strikes, totaling 408 incidents, occurred from December 2025 through late January 2026, coinciding with the voting phases where significant parts of the country faced civil unrest and military aggression. The military-aligned party reportedly claimed a victory in the elections, raising concerns over the legitimacy of the voting process.
At least 170 people were killed in military air strikes during Myanmar's weeks' long election period, the United Nations has said.
Credible sources had counted the civilian deaths, the UN rights office stated, along with 408 military aerial attacks from December 2025 to late last week, when the third and final round of voting was conducted.
The election has drawn widespread disapproval, characterized as a sham by various countries and human rights organizations.
The Union and Solidarity Party (USDP), endorsed by the military, won a landslide victory according to state media, an expected outcome following the tightly-controlled voting process.
Voting was largely unfeasible in many areas due to ongoing civil conflict stemming from a military coup that ousted democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021.
Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, which won significant electoral victories in the previous elections, was barred from participating.
Critics assert that the military junta intends to utilize the election to maintain control through secondary political factions.
UN rights chief Volker Turk condemned the election as staged by the military, indicating a deliberate exclusion of opposition candidates and specific ethnic groups.
Turk elaborated that citizens often faced coercion in determining whether to participate in the election process, a situation entirely inconsistent with their civil and political rights.
James Rodehaver, head of the UN Human Rights team for Myanmar, noted that the casualty figures were compiled from the start of campaigning in December to the final day of voting at the end of January. Incomplete data is expected due to communication shutdowns and the hesitance of individuals to communicate with authorities in some regions.
