Yangon, Myanmar —Polls opened in Myanmar on Sunday kick-starting a controversial election the military junta says will return democratic rule, nearly five years after it seized power from an elected government, unleashing a brutal civil war it has yet to win. The atmosphere has been markedly more muted than previous elections in the last decade, during Myanmar’s experiment with a more open democracy. The brand of non-violent resistance that once made Suu Kyi’s name has been all but forgotten since the coup as civil war rages. “Humanitarian crisis in Myanmar has significantly deteriorated,” he said, adding that the military junta has blocked access to aid with health facilities coming under attack. Russia and China have long been two of Myanmar’s biggest backers and have both spoken favorably of the elections.

Source: Egypt Independent December 28, 2025 15:18 UTC