In October, the Myanmar junta ramped up preparations for sham elections in December while systematically coercing participation and attacking civilians across the country. On 16 October, Min Aung Hlaing announced a three-phase timeline covering 274 townships while excluding 56 areas under resistance control. The regime forced internally displaced persons to register as voters in exchange for cash payments, threatened prisoners with solitary confinement unless they cast advance votes, and re-arrested political prisoners at prison gates to silence potential opposition. The junta arrested three prominent artists on 27 October for criticizing an election propaganda film, prosecuted 64 people under a new Election Protection Law authorizing death penalties for vaguely defined "election interference," and banned all campaign rallies. Approximately 55,000 electronic voting machines will replace paper ballots despite serious transparency concerns, while only six parties field national candidates and voter lists contain hundreds of errors including names of deceased people.

Read more: October 2025 - Summary of Monthly Situation Update

In September 2025, the Myanmar military junta continued laying the groundwork for a tightly controlled first phase of polling scheduled for December, while deepening repression to eliminate scrutiny. The Union Election Commission approved nearly 5,000 candidates under restrictive conditions, barred 56 townships outright, and imposed severe penalties, including against minors, for criticism or perceived disruption of the vote. These developments coincided with the expansion of state surveillance built into national telecom networks, allowing authorities to trace online activity and target individuals for arrest. Taken together, these measures are not designed to reflect the will of the people, but to create the appearance of legitimacy while shielding those in power from scrutiny or accountability.

Read more: September 2025 - Summary of Monthly Situation Update

This report was compiled through monitoring online and print media used by the military government and its supporters to disseminate hate speech. In particular, during August 2025, BHRN found 49 instances of hate speech from monitoring 3 Facebook groups, 1 Facebook page, and 13 Facebook accounts; 35 instances of hate speech from 24 Telegram channels; and 14 instances of hate speech from monitoring 24 TikTok accounts. In terms of print media monitoring, 2 newspapers and 1 journal were observed.

Read more: August 2025 - Digital Hate Monthly Report (Eng -Myan)

In August, the junta reorganized its rule under the SSPC while widening coercive legislation and surveillance, tightening control over civic space and election preparations. The National Defence and Security Council dissolved the SAC and installed the SSPC under Min Aung Hlaing, then declared a new emergency and martial law in 63 townships. The junta-run Union Election Commission announced a first phase of polling on 28 December 2025. In parallel, the junta activated the Election Protection Law, adopted a Military Secrets law carrying life imprisonment or the death penalty, brought the Cybersecurity Law into force, and suspended key privacy protections. Enforcement in Mandalay through phone searches and PSMS identity screening showed how these measures operate in practice. Together they expand detention, surveillance, and censorship powers and create conditions that cannot support a credible vote.

Read more: August 2025 - Summary of Monthly Situation Update