Myanmar sentences nine activists to decades in prison for election protest
A court in Myanmar has sentenced nine activists to prison terms of up to 37 years for their involvement in a protest aimed at urging the public to boycott last December’s military-backed elections. Eight of the activists, including well-known figure Htet Myat Aung, were given 37-year prison terms on Tuesday by two courts in Mandalay, the second-largest city in the country. This was confirmed by May Hnin, a spokesperson for the Anti-Junta Forces Coordination Committee-Mandalay. The activists were charged under the electoral law and the counterterrorism law, which authorities used to justify the long prison sentences.
The ninth individual, also a protest participant, received a 27-year sentence, according to May Hnin. The group was arrested on December 4, the day after staging a flash demonstration in Mandalay’s downtown area. Their protest targeted the upcoming elections scheduled from December 25, 2025, to January 25, 2026, which they called a sham. The activists also condemned the military government’s mandatory conscription policies and demanded the release of political prisoners detained following the 2021 coup that deposed Aung San Suu Kyi.
Purpose of the protest and concerns about the regime
The protest was part of a broader movement to challenge the military’s authority and to resist what many see as a fraudulent system. May Hnin said the military’s intention in handing out such extreme sentences was to intimidate the population and to maintain its control over the country. She claimed that the harsh punishment is a clear sign that the regime, which seized power through an illegitimate election, cannot build a democratic government. The activists have decided not to appeal the verdicts because they believe it is futile—there is no expectation the sentences will be changed.
Legislative moves to suppress dissent before elections
In July 2025, Myanmar passed a new law that makes any action—such as speech, organizing, or distributing leaflets—aimed at undermining the electoral process a criminal offense. The law allows for the harshest possible punishments, including the death penalty. Over 200 people had been charged under this law before December’s elections, which were dominated by the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party. International observers and opposition groups dismissed the vote as neither free nor fair due to the lack of genuine political competition and the exclusion of major opposition parties.
The military-backed government has not publicly commented on the activists’ sentencing, but the ruling follows a pattern of repression against those who oppose its authority. The law passed earlier in the year has been used aggressively to silence critics and enforce a one-sided political narrative ahead of elections that were widely seen as a tool to legitimize the regime rather than represent the will of the people.