The junta has reportedly been burning and destroying documents linked to the 2020 election, including voting result records in Mon State, sources close to the coup regime said.

The junta ordered the burning of all 2020 election materials in Mon State, including voter lists, ballot papers, and records.

The junta-controlled Union Election Commission (UEC) said the records were destroyed because their archival period had expired.

Legally, it is permissible to destroy records from a previous election once a new election has been held, but it becomes a crime if those who illegally seized power from the winning party destroy such valuable information, said veteran supreme court lawyer U Kyi Myint.

He added that the junta’s destruction of election records before the formation of a new government is illegal and can be prosecuted under current election law.

If an election passes without issues, destroying its records may not be problematic, but destroying records from a disputed election is equivalent to destroying evidence intended to prevent future scrutiny, analysts alleged.

It has been more than five years since the junta staged a coup and seized power illegally, citing alleged vote rigging in the election won by the National League for Democracy (NLD).

Not only in Mon State but across the country, the junta has recently been aggressively burning documents related to the 2020 elections.