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Tom Andrews

Tom Andrews

UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar

Appears in 1 story

Notable Quotes

"An election organized by a junta that continues to bomb civilians, jail political leaders and criminalize all forms of dissent is not an election—it is a theatre of the absurd performed at gunpoint" — Statement on 2025 election

"By all measures, this is not a free, fair nor legitimate election. It is a theatrical performance that has exerted enormous pressure on the people of Myanmar to participate in what has been designed to dupe the international community" — Statement on completed election, January 2026

Stories

Myanmar's sham election under military rule

Force in Play

Documenting atrocities, urging international action

Myanmar's military junta completed its three-phase election on January 25, 2026, with the army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party winning nearly 90% of contested seats—a predetermined outcome that fools no one. Combined with 166 seats constitutionally reserved for the military, the bloc controls just under 400 seats, well above the 294 needed to form a government. The junta announced parliament will convene in March and a new government will take office in April, completing the theatrical transformation of coup leaders into 'elected' officials. ASEAN explicitly refused to recognize the results—the first time the regional bloc formally rejected a member state's election—while the EU, UK, and UN condemned the exercise as illegitimate.

Updated Jan 27