In recent weeks, the regime has accelerated its efforts to hold the election and crack down on anyone who shows even the slightest opposition or distress toward it. For people inside the country, the question is no longer whether the election is illegal; that much is clear. The dilemma now is what to do: to vote or not to vote.
The regime is using guns and intimidation to compel participation. The consequences are enormous, both personally and nationally. Those who refuse to vote face constant harassment and blackmail by the regime and its lackeys, while those who comply risk having their images used to legitimize the election.
Ultimately, the result will unfold exactly as Min Aung Hlaing intends. A dictator needs few tricks to shape an election to his will. It is, however, encouraging that both international and local monitoring groups have declared the election illegal and refused to participate in any formal observation. Still, we must continue to discuss the election and expose the moral dilemma faced by the people of Myanmar; the consequences of voting or not voting, before, during, and after the election.
As an election researcher in our interview pointed out, monitoring the election in a way that legitimizes it is unnecessary. What truly matters is witnessing and documenting the regime’s violations; the bribery, the beatings, the abductions, and the threats. It may not be fair to tell the public whether to vote or to boycott under the current circumstances, but it is essential to record what happens. These accounts will stand as evidence; proof to hold the regime accountable and to deny it the legitimacy it so desperately seeks.
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