NEW DELHI – India called for “free, fair and inclusive” elections in Myanmar, aligning itself rhetorically with international concerns over a vote planned by the country’s military rulers amid civil war, widespread repression and the exclusion of large parts of the electorate.
Speaking at a weekly briefing in New Delhi, Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said India supported Myanmar’s transition to democracy and stressed that the participation of all political stakeholders was essential to the credibility of any electoral exercise. India, he added, would continue to back efforts that promote peace, dialogue and a return to normalcy in its eastern neighbor.
Elections Under Military Control
Myanmar’s military junta has announced that elections will be held in three phases, beginning on Dec. 28 and extending into January. Early voting has already begun at a small number of overseas missions, including embassies and consulates in Hong Kong, Singapore, Chiang Mai and Bangkok.
But the scope of the vote remains sharply limited. According to the junta, polling will take place in only 274 of Myanmar’s 330 townships, reflecting the military’s loss of control over wide areas seized by resistance forces. The junta-backed Union Election Commission has also canceled voting in more than 1,500 village tracts, and officials have acknowledged that elections will not be held in roughly one in seven parliamentary constituencies nationwide.
International Skepticism and Rights Concerns
Human Rights Watch and other international rights organizations have urged foreign governments to reject the planned elections, warning that they cannot meet basic democratic standards. In a recent statement, Human Rights Watch said the vote would be neither free nor fair, arguing that since the February 2021 coup the military has dismantled democratic institutions, crushed political opposition and intensified violence in the run-up to the polls.
New laws enacted ahead of the election criminalize protests, criticism of the voting process and other forms of dissent, with penalties that can include prison sentences of up to 10 years. Thousands of politicians, activists and resistance fighters remain detained, among them Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s ousted civilian leader.
United Nations officials and several Western governments have echoed those concerns, while regional groupings such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have struggled to forge a unified response, balancing calls for dialogue with the junta against pressure to isolate it diplomatically.
India’s Balancing Act
India’s comments underscore its careful approach to Myanmar, a country that shares a long and sensitive border with India’s northeast. Jaiswal highlighted India’s humanitarian engagement, noting that New Delhi acted as a first responder after a powerful earthquake in March that killed more than 5,000 people. India deployed relief teams, sent medical assistance and established a temporary hospital, he said, and has continued to offer support to help communities recover.
While India has maintained working ties with Myanmar’s military authorities for security and humanitarian reasons, its public emphasis on inclusive elections places it closer, at least in principle, to international calls for a genuine democratic process.
On the ground, however, Myanmar remains deeply fractured. The military controls major cities, but resistance forces and ethnic armed groups hold large stretches of territory and key border crossings with Bangladesh, China and India — a reality that continues to cast doubt on whether any nationwide vote can meaningfully reflect the will of the people. (zai)
Source: Hindustan Times