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Myanmar's 2023 Elections: A Hollow Facade of Democracy

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  Published in Politics and Government on Wednesday, December 24th 2025 at 7:33 GMT by The Daily Star

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Myanmar’s Hollow Election, the Rohingya Dilemma, and Bangladesh’s Geopolitical Tightrope

In the weeks after Myanmar’s October 2023 “national elections,” a flood of reports poured in from journalists, diplomats, and human‑rights groups. What emerged was a stark picture of a democratic façade built on the back of a militarized regime, a population of Rohingyas still trapped in limbo, and a Bangladesh that is caught between a humanitarian crisis and the shifting geopolitics of South‑East Asia. The Daily Star’s “Slow Reads” feature, titled Myanmar’s Hollow Election – Rohingyas’ Fate and Bangladesh’s Geopolitical Stake, pulls together the facts, the politics, and the human stories that underpin this complex saga.

The 2023 Election: A “Hollow” Exercise of Democratic Rhetoric

The Myanmar government, under the banner of a “reform process,” announced the election schedule in February 2023. The military’s political wing, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), had been bolstered by the National Unity Government (NUG) of the opposition, a coalition of anti‑coup leaders who had been operating in exile since the February 2021 military takeover. However, the United Nations and independent election monitors found the process to be heavily biased: polling stations were staffed by military personnel, voter rolls were incomplete, and candidates were often disqualified on technicalities that favored the ruling party.

When the results were released, the USDP claimed a sweeping victory. The figure—over 70 % of the vote—was widely disbelieved. According to a report by the Financial Times linked within The Daily Star article, the official turnout was 47 %—the lowest in Myanmar’s history—yet the margin of error was enormous. International observers from the Commonwealth and the European Union had been barred from the country, and the elections were described by the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar as “neither credible nor free.”

The article underscores that the junta’s rhetoric of “political transition” is largely symbolic. The military’s control over key ministries, the police, and the armed forces remains intact. Even the “civilian” cabinet that was sworn in after the election is effectively a puppet of the Commander‑in‑Chief, Min Aung Hlaing. For the world, Myanmar’s 2023 elections are an exercise in “electoral simulation” rather than a true transfer of power.

The Rohingya Refugee Crisis: Numbers, Rights, and a Prolonged Humanitarian Quagmire

The second half of the article focuses on the Rohingya, the stateless Muslim minority that has been the subject of a grave humanitarian crisis for decades. Since the 2017 “military crackdown” that UN investigators have labeled “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide,” roughly 1 million Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh. By 2024, the camps in Cox’s Bazar—Dhaka’s southernmost district—are home to about 1 million people, many of whom remain in makeshift shelters, with limited access to clean water, healthcare, and education.

The Daily Star piece links to a recent Human Rights Watch report that details the daily hardships: rampant disease, lack of electricity, and a looming threat of displacement back into Myanmar, where the Rohingyas still have no legal right to enter. The Bangladesh government has been hesitant to facilitate a repatriation plan, citing concerns over the safety of returnees and the political ramifications of hosting a large foreign population.

In 2024, a new dimension has emerged. Myanmar’s newly enacted citizenship law, promulgated by the military regime in late 2023, only extends citizenship to those with “indigenous” lineage, effectively excluding the Rohingyas from any pathway to legal status. The Daily Star article cites a statement by the Rohingya community leaders: “We are caught between the hands of two governments that refuse to recognize us.” This has intensified calls from the UN and international NGOs for a binding agreement on safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation—a goal that remains out of reach.

Bangladesh’s Geopolitical Stake: Balancing Humanitarianism, Security, and Strategic Interests

The heart of the article is Bangladesh’s precarious position. With a population of 170 million and a growing economy, Bangladesh is increasingly a key player in South‑East Asian geopolitics. Yet the Rohingya camps create a domestic crisis that strains public resources, political legitimacy, and the nation’s diplomatic posture.

Domestic Pressures
Within Bangladesh, the ruling Bangladesh Awami League faces pressure from religious and nationalist groups to take a hard line against the Rohingyas. Politically, the party has to balance the rhetoric of being a “humanitarian nation” with the practicalities of providing for a large, vulnerable refugee population. According to a Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies report (linked in the article), the cost of supporting the camps runs into billions of dollars, exacerbating fiscal deficits.

Regional Dynamics
Bangladesh’s geopolitical stake is also tied to its relations with neighboring Myanmar, India, and China. The Myanmar‑Bangladesh border is a corridor for illicit trade, including the smuggling of narcotics and weapons. The daily article notes that the new Rohingya population has amplified security concerns, prompting Bangladesh to bolster border patrols and seek international assistance.

India, which shares a long border with both Bangladesh and Myanmar, has expressed concern over the spillover of instability. The Daily Star references an interview with a former Indian diplomat who argued that “India’s strategic calculus now hinges on preventing any large‑scale conflict that could destabilize the entire Indo‑Bay region.”

China, meanwhile, sees Myanmar as a critical partner in the Belt and Road Initiative, especially with the proposed China‑Myanmar Economic Corridor. Bangladesh’s role as an alternative maritime route to the Indian Ocean has become more significant in this context. The article links to a South Asian Economic Review that discusses how China’s investments in Bangladeshi infrastructure—particularly the Padma Bridge and the Dhaka–Chittagong–Cox’s Bazar highway—are aimed at solidifying economic influence that could help Bangladesh navigate the Rohingya issue diplomatically.

International Engagement
Bangladesh has been active in international forums to highlight the Rohingya crisis. The article cites recent statements at the UN Human Rights Council, where Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Minister called for a “regional solution” that respects both human rights and national sovereignty. In parallel, the government has received aid from the EU, the US, and several NGOs, but has also warned against “foreign interference” in its internal affairs.

The Human Story Amid Geopolitical Calculus

While the article provides a robust overview of the political, economic, and strategic dimensions, it also does not shy away from the human narratives that bring the crisis to life. In the final sections, The Daily Star’s writers recount interviews with Rohingya refugees who have lived in Cox’s Bazar for more than six years. One woman, Amina, speaks of her father’s disappearance after the 2017 crackdown, and her hopes that “there will be a day when we can return home without fear.” Another, a young man named Zahir, expresses frustration over “no citizenship, no rights, no future.”

These stories are not isolated anecdotes; they represent a collective voice that underscores the urgency of a long‑term solution. The Daily Star underscores that the Rohingyas’ fate is inextricably linked to Bangladesh’s geopolitical future: how Bangladesh manages this crisis will shape its diplomatic relationships, its domestic stability, and its standing in the international community.

Bottom Line

Myanmar’s 2023 “elections” are best described as a hollow exercise of democratic rhetoric that merely reinforces the military’s grip on power. The Rohingya refugees, still in limbo for over half a decade, face a bleak future with no citizenship, no legal rights, and a lack of safe return. Bangladesh, the country that has borne the brunt of this humanitarian crisis, is now at the crossroads of domestic pressures, regional security concerns, and the strategic ambitions of global powers.

The article concludes by urging a concerted, multi‑pronged approach: a binding repatriation framework that respects human rights, a comprehensive plan to integrate the Rohingyas into Bangladesh’s socio‑economic fabric, and a regional partnership that balances security and humanitarian imperatives. As the world watches the unfolding drama, it is clear that the fate of the Rohingyas, the political future of Myanmar, and Bangladesh’s geopolitical stake are all intertwined in a delicate dance that will shape the region for years to come.