Myanmar general elections: UN chief hopes for return of Rohingya refugees in 'dignity'

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday expressed hope that the Myanmar elections would allow the return of millions of Rohingya refugees "in safety and dignity". He also hoped that the polls would help advance inclusive sustainable development, humanitarian action, human rights and democratic reforms.

The UN chief reiterated his appeal for a ceasefire across the country and allow all to focus on combatting the Covid-19 pandemic. He expressed concern over the armed conflict in many areas of Myanmar, especially the intensifying clashes in Rakhine and Chin states.

National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi is widely expected to return to power in the November 8 polls. This will be Myanmar’s second election since the nation emerged from outright military rule.

The country, which transitioned into a democratic system just five years ago, presently has nearly 37 million eligible voters who can cast their votes on November 8. According to the Associated Press, Aung San Suu Kyi, who was elected with a landslide majority is predicted to win again, despite critics arguing that her administration has failed to embrace democratic principles. 

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Rohingya Muslims deprived of voting

The Rohingya crisis, where millions of people fled across the border into grimy refugee camps to escape military-backed violence, may have damaged Suu Kyi's reputation in the West, but she remains a hero for many at home. She defended Myanmar against charges of genocide at the UN's top court last December, which garnered much support, especially among the dominant ethnic Bamar.

All the 600,000 Rohingya Muslims left in the country have been stripped of citizenship and will not be able to vote. Further, mass cancellations of the election in several ethnic minority areas – apparently for security concerns - mean nearly two million people are deprived of the right to vote in a country with an electorate of some 37 million.

Suu Kyi remains Myanmar's most popular politician. But her government has fallen short of expectations, with economic growth doing little to alleviate widespread poverty and a failure to ease tensions among the country’s fractious ethnic groups. The state election commission says it will begin to announce election results Monday morning. But it may take up to a week to collect all of the results, some of which will come from remote jungle areas.

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