Naypyidaw, Jan 27 (.) China has congratulated the Myanmar junta’s election, stating that Beijing is ready to continue deepening its cooperation with the neighbour, according to China’s Foreign Ministry.
The junta-orchestrated, three-phase election concluded on Sunday. Observers reported widespread irregularities, including low voter turnout and instances of forced voting by authorities. Early results indicate the junta-backed union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) as the winner.
“China congratulates Myanmar on a steady and orderly general election with active turnout,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun.
Asked if the election would provide a basis for deeper engagement, the spokesperson responded: “China stands ready to continue deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperation with Myanmar.”
The spokesperson added that China is prepared to work with the international community to respect “the choice of the people of Myanmar” and provide constructive assistance for restoring peace, stability, and development
Myanmar’s three-phase election was widely condemned as a sham due to the tight state control, eclipsed by the ongoing civil war, as widespread conflict between rebel militias and the state military led to the cancellation of polls in many places.
The military government has said the recognition of the people is what is needed, not the international community’s stance.
“The people’s vote is the recognition we need,” said Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who heads the current military government.
In a video broadcast on Myanmar’s TV, Min Aung Hlaing said the military government does not understand the international community’s perspective, whether or not it recognizes the election result.
“This is the path chosen by the people,” Min Aung Hlaing said.
“The people from Myanmar can support whoever they want to support,” he said.
The first phase took place on Dec 28 in 102 townships, the second on Jan 11 in 100 townships, with voter turnouts of 52.13 percent and 55.59 percent, respectively. The number of eligible voters exceeds 24.22 million.
The final phase was held on Sunday in 61 townships nationwide. Phase 3 of the vote was marked by low turnout, ongoing armed conflict and widespread intimidation, with reports of residents being pressured to cast ballots amid heavy security deployment. As such, conditions closely mirrored those seen during the first two phases of the junta-organized election.
The military’s influence is embedded in the system, with 25 percent of parliamentary seats reserved for the armed forces, ensuring control over the legislature.
Opposition parties, including the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Suu Kyi, were absent from the polls. Suu Kyi remains imprisoned on politically motivated charges, and her party was forced to dissolve after refusing to register under restrictive new laws. Other parties either declined to run or were barred, and resistance groups encouraged voter boycotts.
Authorities criminalized public criticism of the vote, with hundreds charged for dissenting activities, including leafleting and social media posts. Armed resistance groups disrupted earlier rounds of voting, targeting polling stations and government offices, leading to deaths of administrative officials.
The civil war that erupted after the 2021 coup has displaced millions and left tens of thousands dead, with armed clashes ongoing even during the final round of voting.
International reactions have been overwhelmingly critical. The United Nations, Western governments, and human rights organizations have denounced the election as fraudulent and illegitimate. ASEAN, the regional bloc of which Myanmar is a member, announced it would not send observers or certify the results due to the lack of inclusive participation.
Some countries, including China, Russia, Vietnam, and Cambodia, sent observers or expressed support, highlighting a divide in international perception. Analysts suggest that China’s backing reflects strategic interests in maintaining stability and influence in Myanmar.
Phase 3 voting covered 61 townships across nine regions and states. Early results indicate the military’s proxy union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) leading in most constituencies, further reinforcing widespread criticism that the election represents a continuation of military rule rather than a genuine democratic exercise.
Ironically, rather than projecting authority, and stability, the vote only displayed how widespread the conflict is, with the govt’s control seeming fickle, thus further undermining the polls.
Heavy fighting, airstrikes and resistance control across multiple regions forced polling stations to close, relocate or sit empty, leaving much of Phase 3 voting either disrupted or symbolic at best.
Clashes were reported across eight of the nine regions and states included in the final phase — Yangon, Mandalay, Ayeyarwady, Bago, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, and the conflict-scarred states of Shan, Kachin and Karen. In many areas, voting could not take place at all due to active fighting or because territories were firmly under resistance control.
Where polling did occur, residents described casting the ballot as being more a result of coercion rather than voluntary participation.
In and around Mandalay, locals said administrators pressured people to vote to manufacture an image of legitimacy, with some allegedly being dragged from their homes, while families with draft-age members said they cast ballots out of fear of forced conscription.
Others who had relocated were called and ordered by state officials to cast their vote.
Authorities in Patheingyi, Mahlaing and Myittha townships arranged transport to polling stations, while loudspeakers blared instructions to vote in several areas, including Chanmyathazi township.
Reportedly, ward and village administrators went by door to door, and issued orders for casting ballots to all locals, leading to many businesses along major roads shutting down on January 24 and 25, with compliance checked by municipal teams.
In Kachin State, the junta cancelled voting in Mansi and Momauk just days before the poll, citing security concerns amid clashes with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), reports Irrawaddy.
Voting nonetheless proceeded in Hpakant, Shwegu and Bhamo, despite more than a year of intense fighting.
KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu said resistance forces control roughly half of Bhamo and that no visible election activity took place there. He added that ballot boxes were reportedly moved to Shwegu, where displaced Bhamo residents were instructed to vote.
Hpakant residents reported overnight artillery fire into residential areas ahead of polling, with early reports indicating civilian casualties.
In Bago Region, voting was held in eight townships, many of them resistance strongholds. Ongoing clashes left multiple villages without polling stations, particularly east of the old Yangon-Mandalay highway. In some cases, villagers were told to travel elsewhere to vote, prompting fear-driven participation.
In Tanintharyi, plans to open polling stations in Launglon town were scrapped at the last moment, with ballots moved to Dawei University amid increasing drone activity, with residents describing the turnout to be extremely low.
In Karen State, voting went ahead in Kawkareik and Kyainseikgyi townships, both heavily damaged by months of fighting. Turnout was likewise reported to be an astounding low, with many residents either displaced or unwilling to take part.
Polling was also held in Kani and Salingyi townships in Sagaing Region — areas that have suffered repeated airstrikes and arson attacks. Despite junta claims, voting was limited to a handful of urban wards, with observers describing turnout as negligible.
While the junta-controlled media highlighted President and Tatmadaw chief Gen. Min Aung Hlaing’s brief visit to polling stations in Mandalay as evidence of stability, and public calm, the whole thing has been dismissed as propaganda, with critics noting that his visit avoided conflict-hit townships and unfolded under heavy security.
About one-fifth of Myanmar’s 330 townships, particularly areas under ethnic armed group control, did not participate. This reduced the number of contested seats in the 664-member legislature to 586. Voting was also marked by low turnout, estimated at 52 to 56 percent, a sharp decline from previous elections.
Despite the formal conclusion of the election, analysts warn that it is unlikely to resolve Myanmar’s political crisis, end the civil war, or bring legitimacy to the junta. Instead, it is expected to strengthen military dominance and intensify both internal resistance and international isolation, leaving the country’s democratic future uncertain.
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