International IDEA Statement: Marking five years since Myanmar’s military coup
Myanmar remains trapped in a deepening political, humanitarian and human rights crisis, five years after the military’s illegal seizure of power on 1 February 2021. The coup abruptly ended the country’s democratic transition and dismantled the results of the 2020 general elections, replacing civilian governance with widespread repression, conflict and institutional collapse. Today, Myanmar is one of the most severe cases of democratic breakdown globally.
The junta staged phased elections between December 2025 and January 2026 as a purported pathway to ’normalization’. These polls, conducted amid armed conflict, mass displacement and severe repression, do not meet the minimum conditions for free, fair or inclusive elections. Major political parties, including those that won the clear mandate of the people in 2020, have been banned or forced to boycott, while voters and candidates have faced intimidation and arrest. These elections were designed to manufacture a veneer of civilian legitimacy for continued military rule and cannot represent the will of Myanmar’s people. International IDEA concurs with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, the European Union and ASEAN, all of which refuse to endorse the junta-run elections, reflecting a growing consensus that the elections lacked credibility and must not be legitimized.
Meanwhile, the human rights situation remains alarming, and inseparable from the political crisis. Over the past year, violence has escalated dramatically. Conflict related deaths, air and drone strikes, landmine use, mass arrests and forced conscription have all increased, while access to information and civic space has been systematically dismantled. The military continues to rely on coercion, surveillance and arbitrary detention to assert authority. Thousands of elected representatives, political activists, journalists and civil society actors remain imprisoned, many subjected to torture and inhumane treatment.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and others have documented widespread violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence, collective punishment and indiscriminate airstrikes against civilians. Accountability remains elusive inside Myanmar, making international mechanisms essential. The ongoing case against Myanmar before the International Court of Justice concerning alleged violations of the Genocide Convention underscores the importance of sustained international engagement to uphold justice and prevent further atrocities.
Despite this relentless repression, Myanmar’s democracy movement continues to pursue an alternative vision: a future federal, inclusive and civilian-led democratic union grounded in the mandate of the 2020 elections and broad popular resistance. International IDEA stands with the people of Myanmar and their legitimate democratic representatives. On this sombre anniversary, we reiterate our call on the international community to reject any normalisation of military rule, to support accountability and human rights, and to sustain principled engagement with Myanmar’s democracy movement.
