Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) Under a democratic system, elections are a crucial way for voters to exercise their civic rights and determine the future of the nation. The Republic of the Union of Myanmar completed the first phase of its 2025 multi-party democratic general election on December 28th.
From 6:00 AM until the polling stations closed, voters in all 102 townships across the country actively and orderly participated in the voting process, peacefully and autonomously exercising their right to vote responsibly.
It is noteworthy that while the government and the people were working together to advance the democratic election process, terrorist organizations continued to carry out violent and extremist acts to disrupt the election. Their methods included launching homemade heavy weapons and rockets, detonating stun grenades and landmines, intercepting voters' vehicles, spreading disinformation, using drones to drop bombs, and firing from fixed-wing aircraft, all with the aim of preventing voters from casting their ballots, destroying polling stations, and intimidating the public.
On election day, terrorists launched multiple attacks in 11 townships, including: detonating stun grenades at a polling station in Myitkyina Township, Kachin State; firing homemade 107mm rockets in Loikyu Township, Kayah State; detonating homemade landmines in Myawaddy Township, Kayin State; an attack on the government office building in Tanintharyi Region by a fixed-wing aircraft; preventing 17 palm oil growers from reaching the polling station in Kamokyi Township; bomb and rocket attacks on the Shwepo No. 2 polling station and the National Youth Resource Development Institute in Sagaing Region; a two-pronged attack by light and heavy weapons on the Sobuwa No. 1 constituency in Thamu Township; rocket attacks on Madaya Township and Aungmyay Thazan Township in Mandalay Region; and gunfire or bomb attacks on the administrative office area of Myintyan Township and parts of Nyaung-U Township. The attacks injured five civilians, but did not shake the people's faith in democracy. Voters lined up in an orderly fashion to cast their ballots from 5:30 a.m., and voting proceeded smoothly from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. All voters remaining at the polling stations completed their voting. By 5:30 p.m., the first phase of voting in all 102 townships nationwide had concluded successfully. In fact, during the pre-election phase, terrorist organizations carried out 54 acts of sabotage across 41 townships, including distributing disinformation, inciting anti-election movements, vandalizing election propaganda facilities (23 incidents), attacking election security personnel (4 incidents), carrying out bomb, grenade, and rocket attacks (17 incidents), threatening public officials and party members with weapons (3 incidents), and kidnapping (6 incidents).
Despite the various means by which terrorist organizations and exiled media outlets disrupted the election, discredited the democratic system, and published false reports, the first phase of the election was completed in a free, fair, and transparent environment with government guarantees and public support. International election observers, diplomats, media, and voters witnessed this process.
To ensure the smooth progress of subsequent elections, we urge the government and security and administrative departments to strengthen measures and fully guarantee voters' right to vote safely. We also call on all citizens who support democracy and hope for national stability and peaceful development to actively cooperate with relevant departments to report terrorism and suspicious activities, and jointly promote the national democratic process peacefully.
