As part of its preparations for the upcoming election, the military junta has ramped up voter education and awareness campaigns throughout Mon State, according to local sources.
Since June, authorities have been conducting training sessions on how to use the Myanmar Electronic Voting Machine (MEVM), including demonstrations and mock voting events. These programs have taken place in townships such as Bilin, Mawlamyine, Kyaikmaraw, Paung, Ye, and Mudon.
“In the morning of July 25, they held a demonstration at Mudon High School No. 1. Government staff, political party representatives, schoolteachers, and election workers attended,” said a female resident of Mudon.
The junta first organized a three-day training session for MEVM instructors at the Mon State Government Hall in Mawlamyine from June 26 to 28. Following that, awareness activities have been increasing steadily across the region.
By July 25, the Southeast Military Command and local election commissions had already carried out these campaigns in six townships across Mon State.
A Mawlamyine resident who attended a mock voting session said, “The resistance groups are issuing warnings, but the junta continues its activities. We ordinary people are stuck in the middle, afraid of both sides. It’s a very tense situation.”
Meanwhile, resistance forces that had previously warned the public not to collaborate with the junta’s election activities said they are closely monitoring developments on the ground and may act accordingly.
The junta, which seized power following accusations of fraud in the 2020 general election, has announced that it plans to hold staggered elections between December 2025 and January 2026.
Sources say the military plans to conduct elections in 267 townships and that nine political parties are expected to contest at the national level, with over 50 additional parties competing at the regional and state level.
