Myanmar Opponents Stage 'Silent Strike' to Boycott Dec. 28 Election

Opponents of Myanmar's military government staged a coordinated 'silent strike' on International Human Rights Day, urging citizens to remain indoors from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to signal a boycott of the Dec. 28 election.

The General Strike Coordination Body, the main nonviolent organization opposing army rule, organized the action amid criticisms that the upcoming vote will not be free or fair and is designed to lend legitimacy to the junta after it seized power in February 2021 from Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government.

State-run Myanma Alinn and other outlets reported that authorities have opened criminal proceedings against 10 pro-democracy activists for a brief Dec. 3 flash-mob leaflet distribution at a crowded morning market in Mandalay. Officials say the activists are being charged under a new election law that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for allegedly disrupting the electoral process.

The Mandalay protest drew wide attention because many participants did not conceal their identities as they handed out leaflets and shouted slogans calling for rejection of the election, abolition of military conscription, and release of political prisoners. Among those charged are prominent activists Tayzar San, Nan Lin and Khant Wai Phyo.

Images shared on social media showed unusually empty streets in Yangon and other cities during the midday period, consistent with the organizers' appeal for a daytime boycott. Independent media also reported that authorities warned shopkeepers they could face arrest if they closed their businesses for the silent strike.

Tayzar San, a physician-turned-activist who organized Mandalay's first public protest after the 2021 takeover, said the continuing public mobilization shows people have not been cowed by the junta's repression.

The developments underscore escalating tensions ahead of the Dec. 28 vote as opposition groups press civil-resistance tactics while the military government moves to prosecute dissent under new electoral legislation.