UN records at least 170 civilian deaths as Myanmar air strikes accompany disputed election

InsightsWire News2026

A United Nations review of the recent Myanmar voting period found significant civilian harm and sustained aerial bombardment while the country conducted a tightly managed election. Between the start of campaign activity in December 2025 and the final polling in late January 2026 the UN counted at least 170 civilian deaths attributed to military air strikes and logged 408 distinct aerial attacks. Those totals were compiled from open-source reporting and UN monitoring, with the agency noting they are likely an undercount because of communication blackouts and fear among witnesses in conflict zones. The election unfolded in three rounds and produced a landslide for a military-aligned party, but the process was widely rejected by foreign governments and rights groups as lacking credibility. Key opposition organizations were not permitted to compete, and many ethnic minority areas experienced active combat or were effectively cut off from voting. UN officials described choices by civilians to participate or abstain as heavily influenced by intimidation and insecurity, not free political preference. The use of air power during an electoral calendar amplifies the hazards for non-combatants and complicates humanitarian access to affected communities. Operationally, persistent aerial strikes during civic processes signal an intention to consolidate control through force projection rather than political conciliation. Regionally, the events increase the risk of protracted fragmentation as local armed groups and excluded populations deepen their resistance. For international policymakers, the pattern presents a dilemma between diplomatic isolation, targeted measures, and the limited leverage available over a militarized leadership. Militarized elections of this kind reduce prospects for near-term stabilization and heighten legal and reputational exposure for actors providing material or political support to the junta. Absent a credible accountability pathway, the documented strikes and casualties are likely to harden positions inside Myanmar and further marginalize non-military political channels.

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