On 31 July 2025, the junta declared an end to its unconstitutional state of emergency, which had been extended seven times since the February 2021 coup. Power was handed over to the SSPC as a new “interim government” that is almost identical to the SAC.
These developments are not genuine reforms but a strategic repackaging of military rule to give a semblance of democratic legitimacy ahead of the junta’s planned elections in December 2025 and January 2026. The elections will not be a genuine democratic exercise but are a calculated attempt to undermine Myanmar’s legitimate interim government institutions, including the interim parliament, the Committee Representing the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw composed of MPs elected in 2020, and the broader democracy movement, which continue their efforts to design a future democratic union under the Federal Democracy Charter.
To further deter resistance to the planned elections, the junta has declared a new “Law on the Prevention of Disruption and Interference with Elections”, which imposes harsh penalties—including the death penalty—for any acts of “sabotage or disruption” of the electoral process. The junta also issued a new cybersecurity law to criminalize the use of VPNs and penalize users who access banned social media sites or share information from them, granting the regime uncontrolled power to conduct online surveillance and arrest critics. These draconian laws contradict international human rights standards.
On 1 August, the junta declared a new state of emergency and imposed martial law on 63 townships across Myanmar, including areas in Kachin, Karenni (Kayah), Karen, Rakhine, Shan, and Chin States, as well as Sagaing, Mandalay, and Magwe regions—territories largely controlled by anti-junta forces.
Together, these measures are designed to suppress dissent, prevent meaningful political participation, and continue the junta’s campaign of human rights violations against Myanmar’s people—reinforcing the illegitimacy of the upcoming elections and the high risk of violence.
International IDEA calls on the international community to:
- Reject and withhold any technical, material or political support for the junta’s planned elections.
- Reaffirm and provide technical and financial support to Myanmar’s democracy movement, including elected MPs, Ethnic Resistance Organizations, ethnic political parties, and civil society organizations, in their efforts to design a future federal democratic union.
- Support inclusive dialogue and the ongoing transitional constitution-making process that reflects the will of the people to uphold human rights and democratic norms.
- Increase diplomatic and advocacy efforts to prevent normalisation and legitimisation of diplomatic relations with the military junta, both bilaterally and in international and regional forums.
- Adopt a ‘do no harm’ approach to all engagements on Myanmar, especially interactions with the military junta, guided by the pressing need to end violence and restore democracy, while rejecting the entrenchment or legitimation of military rule.
We commend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for its recent efforts to foster dialogue among anti-junta groups and for considering establishing a permanent mandate for the ASEAN Special Envoy on Myanmar. We further welcome Japan’s statement of 1 August expressing support for genuine democracy in Myanmar, including the implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus. These are positive steps toward strengthening regional cohesion and addressing the crisis through principled engagement.
International IDEA remains committed to working with all stakeholders who support a democratic future for Myanmar and will continue to advocate for the protection of democratic institutions, inclusive governance, and the rule of law.
This statement is available in Burmese: မြန်ြာန ိုင်ငံအခမြေအခနနှင ်ပတ်သက်၍ International IDEA ၏ သခ ာထာားထိုတ်မပန်ြေျက
