On July 31, 2025, terrorist military leader Min Aung Hlaing implemented structural and organizational changes with the aim of conducting an illegal election. He dissolved the State Administration Council (SAC) and transformed it into the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC) with 10 members, while retaining his position as chairman. The Defense and Security Council was strengthened with the appointment of an executive director and deputy executive director, along with the formation of a 15-member central advisory committee. Additionally, a 90-day military administration was declared in 63 townships across 9 states and regions under emergency provisions. Laws protecting citizens’ personal freedom and security were also suspended.
On August 18, they announced a list of 102 townships for the first phase of the illegal election. However, these townships include territories controlled by revolutionary forces and areas experiencing intense fighting. The military continues to receive weapons and equipment while also gaining manpower through forced conscription. According to data from the Ministry of Human Rights, there were 656 documented human rights violations in August alone, including arbitrary arrests and detention, forced conscription, child soldier recruitment, forced labor, extrajudicial killings, forced displacement, property destruction, sexual violence, torture, and violations of freedom of expression.
The military’s atrocities have intensified, particularly in areas where they are attempting to conduct the illegal election. Mass killings and airstrikes have increased significantly since the restructuring, with 22 mass killing incidents resulting in 225 civilian deaths in August alone. The military conducted 493 airstrikes during the same month, killing 278 people, including 44 children. They deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure, destroying 15 schools, 6 hospitals, and 36 religious buildings. Notable incidents include the August 17 airstrike on Mawchi region in Karenni State that killed 32 civilians, including 5 children, and the August 2 bombing of Mogok city that killed 12 people, including a monk and a child.
These actions clearly demonstrate that the military council is using extreme violence to force through their illegal election plans, showing complete disregard for civilian lives and human rights. The situation is expected to worsen as they continue their attempts to hold the sham election, with the first phase scheduled for December 28, 2025. The military council lacks both legitimacy and practical ability to conduct nationwide elections, yet continues to escalate violence against civilians in pursuit of this goal. The international community must recognize that supporting or legitimizing this blood-stained election process only enables further war crimes against the Myanmar people.
