‘We are always living in fear’: inside Myanmar’s ‘sham’ election
The Guardian••general
Key Points:
- Nearly five years after Myanmar's military coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi, Yangon appears bustling but life remains unstable, with widespread fear and repression among residents.
- The military is conducting elections touted as a return to democracy, but the UN and Western governments criticize the process as a sham, with low voter turnout and many areas excluded due to ongoing conflict.
- Since the coup, protests were violently suppressed, leading to thousands of deaths, arrests, and a civil war spreading across two-thirds of the country, while Yangon remains relatively detached but anxious.
- Economic conditions have deteriorated sharply, with inflation surging, the currency collapsing, foreign businesses withdrawing, and many locals struggling to survive amid power cuts and reduced economic activity.
