The military-backed election commission, which claims it will conduct a free and fair election, has reportedly warned political parties not to criticize the military or engage in campaigning.

After political parties announced that they could campaign for 60 days, from October 28th to December 26th, some parties said they received warning letters outlining rules they must follow.

An unnamed senior political party leader said the warnings mainly restrict criticism of the military and the military-drafted constitution.

“They sent us the rules and regulations we must follow for campaigning. Essentially, it’s similar to 2010: you cannot campaign while criticizing the military, and you cannot criticize the constitution or its provisions. These rules exist in every election law, but the timing differs. You can compare the situation now to that in 2015,” the leader said.

In addition, on September 25th, political parties were instructed not to make speeches that could harm national unity, ethnic cohesion, or the stability of power, or that could threaten security, the rule of law, or public peace. They were also warned against speeches that show disrespect for the 2008 constitution or existing laws, or that could undermine or insult the state.

One candidate running in the election said, “Back in 2015, I spoke out about the military, the NLD government, and the U Thein Sein administration. Even then, the law prohibited criticism. We had some room to speak from within our political boundaries, but now the party won’t even allow us to do that. Everyone knows the public dislikes the military; we do too. So if we cannot criticize them during the election, even the basic constitutional right to free speech seems denied.”

Furthermore, the military has issued laws threatening the death penalty if anyone disrupts the election.  Social media users criticizing the election—including minors—have already been arrested and imprisoned.

Photo credit - USDP