Standing on a stage framed by his party’s vibrant red and yellow banners, Ko Ko Gyi addressed a gathering of roughly 150 Election supporters with a sense of urgency and determination. His voice carried over the crowd as he confronted a word that many in Myanmar hesitate to speak: “Revolution.” He framed it not as a threat but as a call to action, a challenge to complacency in a nation long accustomed to political suppression.
Every gesture, every pause, emphasized the stakes of the moment. For his audience, the speech was more than rhetoric; it was a reminder of aspirations deferred and the fragile hopes for democratic change. In Ko Ko Gyi’s words, the country’s future felt immediate, personal, and contested.
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The people of Myanmar want freedom
Ko Ko Gyi’s decision to support the upcoming election has both surprised and divided Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement. As a student at Yangon University, he helped lead the 1988 uprising against the military dictatorship. His activism has been relentless, resulting in more than 17 years behind bars between 1989 and 2012 after multiple arrests.
Following the 2021 coup, he shocked many by engaging publicly with the junta, including meetings with the military’s Commander-in-Chief, Min Aung Hlaing.
“We cannot stand by while our country collapses,” he said. “At this moment, all power rests with the commander-in-chief. After the election, at least the authority will be divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Our elected representatives will then have the opportunity to speak, raise concerns, and challenge the situation.”
This is a trap.”
Ko Ko Gyi has described his support for the election as “pragmatic,” but many within the pro-democracy movement view it as naive.
While the military presents the upcoming polls to foreign governments and journalists as a step toward civilian rule, it continues to imprison leaders of the government it overthrew, including Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi of the National League for Democracy (NLD). She is among roughly 22,600 political prisoners currently held in Myanmar, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
In August, UN investigators reported summary executions and systematic torture of detainees—including genital burning, gang rape, beatings, and electrocution—as part of “a pattern of atrocities” across the country.
“Everyone knows this is a sham election. Don’t fool yourself,” said Naw Susanna Hla Hla Soe, elected to parliament in 2015 and 2020 on the NLD ticket. She fled Yangon after the coup and now serves as Minister of Women, Youth, and Children Affairs in the National Unity Government (NUG), a government-in-exile formed by ousted lawmakers resisting military rule.
“The people of Myanmar want democracy, freedom, development, and prosperity,” she told the ABC. “This is a trap. It will only drag people back into another era of dictatorship.”
Civil war continues
The harshest critique of the elections comes from the ongoing civil war that has engulfed much of Myanmar since the military seized power.
Independent conflict monitor ACLED estimates that at least 80,000 people have been killed in conflict-related violence since 2021. Some 3.6 million have been forced from their homes by relentless air and drone strikes as the junta attempts to reclaim territory from thousands of ethnic armies and local militias now fighting across the country.
Any hope that the elections could end the violence has evaporated. Aerial attacks have surged by roughly 30 percent compared with last year, ACLED reports.
Just this month, the military’s indiscriminate bombardments destroyed a 300-bed hospital in Rakhine State, killing at least 30 people. The World Health Organization notes this is the 67th attack on a healthcare facility in Myanmar so far this year.
Social media to play a role
Despite the regime’s efforts to block social media and suppress independent reporting, news of the military’s brutality has spread to urban centers such as Yangon, creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation ahead of the elections.
The ABC attempted to interview voters on camera, but most were too afraid to speak publicly. One young woman, who requested to be identified only as “Joy,” shared her concerns.
“I feel I have to vote. I don’t think it would be safe not to,” she said. “I have a younger brother at home who is eligible for conscription. I’m afraid something bad might happen if I don’t vote.”
Another voter, using the pseudonym “Ko Kyaw Swear,” spoke only by phone. “In the cities, life may seem normal, but even in parts of Yangon, people are being arrested at night,” he said. “The military is holding this election to create the illusion of fairness. It’s a cover for their brutality. Everyone knows this is a sham.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ko Ko Gyi?
A veteran pro-democracy activist who spent 17+ years in prison and now supports voting as a pragmatic choice.
Why do some oppose the election?
They see it as a sham to keep the military in power while political leaders remain imprisoned.
Is it safe for citizens to vote?
No. Many face intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and fear of military retaliation.
What about social media and news?
The military blocks platforms, but information about abuses still spreads, especially in cities.
How has the international community responded?
Most Western governments and human rights groups reject the election as illegitimate.
What do ordinary people want?
Democracy, freedom, safety, and economic development—but many fear the election is a trap.
Conclusion
As Myanmar prepares for elections five years after the military seized power, the country faces a stark choice under extraordinary pressure. For veterans like Ko Ko Gyi, voting represents a pragmatic effort to reclaim even a small measure of civic influence. Yet, with tens of thousands killed, millions displaced, and political prisoners still behind bars, many view the polls as little more than a veneer for continued military rule.
