Mr Horsey agreed: “Yet again, as it has for 80 years, the military has found a way to hang on and remain in the driver’s seat”.
China has been “pushing the regime to proceed with the polls without further delay,” he added.
After the first round of voting on December 28, the junta claimed a turnout of 50 per cent, compared to around 70 per cent in 2020. The pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party – seen as a proxy for the junta – said it won 80 per cent of seats.
Among those willing to speak to the Telegraph, there was a sense of fear and weariness. Those who took part said they did so because there were no other options.
“Some people like me will vote because we are tired of fear and uncertainty,” said one 56-year-old man. “Even if we don’t trust the system fully, we hope voting might bring some stability, or at least stop things from getting worse. For me, voting is not about believing in the election, but about trying to survive and protect my family in whatever way I can.”
There are already around 22,000 political prisoners in Myanmar, according to the Association for Political Prisoners. Under a new election protection law, criticism of the vote carries a minimum sentence of three years, but could even result in the death penalty.
At least 200 people have so far been arrested, including three young people who were given between 42 and 49 years behind bars for putting stickers across Yangon calling for a boycott of the vote.
“Under the law, people charged like my son should have the right to defend themselves. But in reality, they are not given that right,” said the mother of one of the accused, who asked not to be named.
“As a mother, the pain is knowing I cannot protect him, and I don’t know if he will ever have a future again. He is still young, but instead of studying, working and building a life, he is spending his best years behind prison bars,” she said. “I live every day with fear and pain, wondering who will be taken next or who may not come back.”
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