Overview
- Home Affairs Minister Tun Tun Naung said authorities have identified 229 suspects in 140 cases for allegedly sabotaging election processes, without specifying how many are in custody.
- The July statute criminalizes actions such as organizing or inciting to disrupt the vote with penalties of three to ten years in prison, with other offenses punishable by up to 20 years or even the death penalty, according to state media cited by AP.
- Officials recently sought the arrest of 10 Mandalay demonstrators and detained a director, an actor and a comedian over social‑media criticism, while some suspects include members of People’s Defence Forces and ethnic armed groups.
- Polling is set in three phases on Dec. 28, Jan. 11 and Jan. 25 using electronic-only voting, with results expected around the end of January 2026.
- The military is conducting offensives to extend areas where voting can occur as opposition groups vow to block polling in territories they control, and rights groups note more than 22,000 political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi.