Ghost Town Prepares for Elections in Myanmar

A Deserted City Gets Ready for Voting

The town of Hpapun, once a vibrant regional center filled with banks, government offices, and shops, is set to participate in the second phase of voting when the general elections resume this Sunday, following the first phase held at the end of December. However, the issue is that Hpapun is, in fact, a ghost town. On the walls of the police station, a sign asks, 'Can we help you?' in English, but just beyond the gate, a symbol of crossed bones on a red background warns of landmines planted in the area.

When Al Jazeera journalists visited Hpapun a few weeks ago, not a soul was left in the city, and all businesses and homes had either been burned or destroyed due to bombardments, or were overgrown by jungle. Some voting will take place at a tactical command post about 10 km away, but those wishing to exercise their voting rights must navigate through landmines, traps, and approximately 800 government soldiers who have been under siege since 2024.

Tin Oo, commander of the People's Defense Forces, a rebel group attempting to drive the government from the area, stated, 'The upcoming elections of the military junta are a farce. They are rigged, false elections aimed at maintaining the power they have stolen.' Moreover, more than 3.5 million voters in Myanmar will be unable to vote as they have been forced to flee their homes due to civil conflict. Aye Thu Zar fled her village, Pazun Myaung, two months ago after it was struck by air attacks from government planes. Now, she and her son Mo live alongside 150 other displaced individuals on the banks of the Sittang River, surviving on what they can gather from the land.

Just two hours away in Yangon, Myanmar's most populous city, security is lax, and the civil war seems distant. Many urban areas across the country voted in the first phase of elections on December 28. After the second phase this Sunday, a third phase will follow on January 25, before the final results are announced. However, given that military-backed parties are the only option on the ballot, many voters simply did not show up in cities like Yangon, and local officials estimate turnout may be as low as 35%. Regardless, these issues do not seem to concern the pro-military party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which has already been declared the clear winner of the first phase, having won 89 out of the 102 available seats, and is highly likely to emerge victorious again by the end of the elections this month.