At least 170 civilians were killed in military air strikes during Myanmar’s weeks-long election period, the United Nations has said, amid widespread condemnation of the vote as a sham.
The UN human rights office said “credible sources” recorded 408 military aerial attacks between December 2025, when campaigning began, and late last week, when the final round of voting was held. The figures are likely incomplete due to communications blackouts and fear among residents, according to UN officials.
Myanmar’s military-backed Union and Solidarity Party (USDP) claimed an overwhelming victory, an outcome widely expected following a tightly controlled election. Voting was not possible in large parts of the country, which has been engulfed in civil war since the 2021 military coup that ousted and jailed elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
UN rights chief Volker Turk described the election as “staged by the military”, noting that opposition candidates and some ethnic groups were excluded, and that many people voted — or chose not to — out of fear. Meanwhile, he said, conflict and insecurity continued unabated across much of the country.
The UN human rights office said “credible sources” recorded 408 military aerial attacks between December 2025, when campaigning began, and late last week, when the final round of voting was held. The figures are likely incomplete due to communications blackouts and fear among residents, according to UN officials.
Myanmar’s military-backed Union and Solidarity Party (USDP) claimed an overwhelming victory, an outcome widely expected following a tightly controlled election. Voting was not possible in large parts of the country, which has been engulfed in civil war since the 2021 military coup that ousted and jailed elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
UN rights chief Volker Turk described the election as “staged by the military”, noting that opposition candidates and some ethnic groups were excluded, and that many people voted — or chose not to — out of fear. Meanwhile, he said, conflict and insecurity continued unabated across much of the country.
