The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that over 400 military airstrikes in the weeks before and after Myanmar's highly controversial election have resulted in at least 170 civilian deaths.
According to AFP, the OHCHR has consistently taken a harshly critical stance toward the election. On the 30th, the office warned that the election failed to respect basic human rights and that attacks by the military against the population continue.
The month-long, three-phase election concluded on the 25th. The election was forcibly carried out by the military, with democracy monitoring bodies saying the move was aimed at reshaping the image of military rule, while dissenting voices continue to be suppressed.
According to "reliable sources of information," "Between December 2025 and January 2026, during the voting period, approximately 408 military airstrike incidents were publicly reported, resulting in at least 170 civilian deaths."
The head of OHCHR's Myanmar team, Rod Haver, told reporters in Geneva: "These elections have not stopped the violence from continuing in 2025."
Speaking in Bangkok, he emphasized that 2025 is "the year with the highest number of civilian deaths from airstrikes since 2021," and that "airstrikes even continued on election day."
Haver warned that the death toll could still rise, noting that due to communication disruptions and because "people in some areas are afraid to talk to us," verifying these numbers is extremely complicated.