Critics of army rule in Myanmar stage a silent strike against upcoming election

Myanmar’s Pro-Democracy Movement Stages “Silent Strike” Against Military-Backed Elections

Opponents of Myanmar’s military regime organized a nationwide “silent strike” on Wednesday, calling on citizens to stay indoors to demonstrate their rejection of upcoming elections scheduled for December 28. The peaceful protest coincided with International Human Rights Day and occurred despite severe legal repercussions threatened by the military junta.

The General Strike Coordination Body, the country’s leading non-violent opposition organization, urged people to remain in their homes or workplaces from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Images circulating on social media showed noticeably empty streets in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, and other urban centers across the country.

This coordinated action comes as Myanmar’s military government intensifies its crackdown on dissent ahead of elections that critics widely dismiss as neither free nor fair. The military, which seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government in February 2021, appears determined to use the elections to legitimize its rule despite widespread domestic and international opposition.

In a related development, Myanmar’s state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper reported that authorities are seeking the arrest of 10 pro-democracy activists who organized a rare street protest in Mandalay, the nation’s second-largest city, on December 3. The activists are charged under a recently implemented election law that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment for “disrupting the electoral process.”

The Mandalay demonstration drew significant attention for its boldness in a city where heavy security presence and routine crackdowns have made public dissent nearly impossible. During the protest, participants distributed anti-election leaflets at a crowded morning market and openly chanted slogans, with many making no effort to conceal their identities.

Among those charged are prominent activists Tayzar San, Nan Lin, and Khant Wai Phyo. Tayzar San, a physician-turned-activist who organized the first public protest in Mandalay following the 2021 military coup, played a pivotal role in sparking nationwide resistance against the junta.

“Although it has been five years, the public’s mobilization is the main obvious evidence that it has not become complacent and has not cowardly given up under the oppressive mechanisms of the military dictatorship,” Tayzar San told The Associated Press after last week’s demonstration.

The military government’s response to the silent strike reportedly included threats against business owners. Independent media outlets, including the Democratic Voice of Burma, reported that authorities warned shopkeepers with arrest if they closed their establishments during the protest hours.

Silent strikes have become a signature tactic of Myanmar’s resistance movement since the coup, employed on significant occasions to demonstrate continued public opposition to military rule while minimizing the risk of violent confrontation with security forces. The effectiveness of these strikes lies in their visible impact on daily life and commerce, providing tangible evidence of widespread rejection of the junta’s authority.

The upcoming December elections have been widely condemned by international observers and Myanmar’s opposition as a transparent attempt by the military to create a veneer of democratic legitimacy. The National Unity Government, comprised of ousted lawmakers and operating in exile, has called for a boycott of the polls.

Myanmar’s political crisis has had devastating humanitarian consequences, with thousands killed in the military’s violent crackdown on dissent and millions displaced by ongoing conflicts between the military and resistance forces across the country. Despite this repression, Wednesday’s silent strike demonstrates that public resistance to military rule remains resilient nearly three years after the coup.