UN fears mass-electronic surveillance during Myanmar vote

FILE PHOTO: Ko Ko Gyi, centre, chairman of the People's Party and leader of Myanmar prominent 1988 pro-democracy uprising, shouts slogans during the opening ceremony of campaign poster and election campaign Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, in Yangon, Myanmar. - AP

GENEVA: Elections scheduled in military-ruled Myanmar next month could never be free or fair, the United Nations insisted Friday, warning that the junta could unleash mass-electronic surveillance on polling stations.

Myanmar's military seized power in a 2021 coup, sparking a civil war, but is trumpeting elections as an opportunity for reconciliation.