Standing on a stage flanked by his party’s signature red and yellow flags, Ko Ko Gyi made his case to a crowd of some 150 supporters. “In our country, there is a word that many people are afraid to use — the word is ‘revolution’,” he said, capturing the attention of the audience dressed in matching yellow shirts and hats handed out by the People’s Party.
In a nation where revolutions have claimed tens of thousands of lives, the ‘R’ word resonates deeply. However, Ko Ko Gyi, 64, is not calling for a revolt in the streets. Instead, he urges the people of Myanmar to initiate change at the ballot box. This call comes five years after the military toppled a democratically elected government, imprisoned its leaders, and triggered a civil war. The country is now preparing for national elections beginning on December 28.
Controversial Elections Amidst Political Turmoil
The junta claims the upcoming polls will return Myanmar to civilian rule, but many Western governments and civil rights groups have dismissed the election as a sham designed to maintain military power through surrogate political parties. Calls for a boycott have echoed throughout the country, yet Ko Ko Gyi, a candidate for the People’s Party and a respected pro-democracy activist, has surprisingly voiced support for the elections.
“If the people do not vote in the elections, the elections won’t stop,” he told the ABC after a political rally on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city. “This is not the best choice, but this is the pragmatic way forward,” he added.
Divided Pro-Democracy Movement
Ko Ko Gyi’s stance has divided the pro-democracy movement. Known for leading the 1988 student uprising against military dictatorship while at Yangon University, he has been a persistent activist, spending over 17 years in prison between 1989 and 2012. His decision to engage with the junta and meet with the military’s Commander-in-Chief, Min Aung Hlaing, after the 2021 coup, shocked many.
“We cannot watch our country collapse,” he said. “Right now, all the power is in the hands of the commander-in-chief. After the election, at least power will be shared between the legislative, executive, and judiciary branches. Then our elected representatives will have a chance to talk or complain about the situation.”
Opposition to the Elections
While Ko Ko Gyi describes his approach as “pragmatic,” many peers in the pro-democracy movement view it as naive. The military continues to imprison political leaders from the government it deposed, including Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who led the National League for Democracy (NLD) party. She is among approximately 22,600 political prisoners currently detained in Myanmar, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
“Everyone knows it — this is a sham election. Don’t trick yourself,” said Naw Susanna Hla Hla Soe, elected to parliament in 2015 and 2020 on the NLD’s ticket.
Now serving as the Minister of Women, Youths, and Children Affairs in the National Unity Government (NUG), a government-in-exile formed by ousted lawmakers resisting the 2021 coup, she added, “The people of Myanmar, they want democracy, they want freedom. They want development and prosperity. This is a trap. It will only pull people into another era of dictatorship.”
Escalating Civil War and Humanitarian Crisis
The most damning indictment of the elections is the ongoing brutal civil war that has engulfed much of the country 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. Approximately 3.6 million people have been displaced due to relentless air and drone strikes by the junta, which aims to reclaim territory from ethnic armies and militia groups fighting across the country.
ACLED reports that aerial strikes have increased by around 30% compared to last year.
Just this month, the military’s indiscriminate bombardments leveled a 300-bed hospital in Rakhine State, killing at least 30 people. The World Health Organization estimates this attack as the 67th on a health facility in Myanmar this year.
Social Media and Public Fear
Despite the regime’s efforts to block social media and stifle the local press, news of the military’s brutality has spread to urban centers like Yangon, creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation ahead of the polls. The ABC attempted to interview voters about the elections, but most were too scared to speak publicly.
A young woman, referred to as ‘Joy’, expressed her concerns. “I think I will have to go and vote. I don’t think it will be OK not to vote,” she said. “I have a younger brother at home whose age is within the age limit for conscription. I’m afraid that something bad might happen if I don’t vote.”
Another individual, ‘Ko Kyaw Swear’, who spoke anonymously, shared his perspective. “In the cities and urban areas, it may seem normal in Myanmar. But even in some places in Yangon, they are arresting people at night,” he said. “I think the military is trying to do this election because they want to pretend like they are fair. They are trying to cover up their brutality, and everybody knows this is a sham election.”
The upcoming elections in Myanmar represent a critical juncture for the country, with deep divisions within the pro-democracy movement and ongoing violence casting long shadows over the prospects for a peaceful transition to civilian rule. As the world watches, the path forward remains fraught with uncertainty and risk.
