Junta Arrests 24 Civilians in Ayeyarwady Region Under Election Laws

In Ayeyarwady Region, the military junta has arrested and charged up to 24 civilians on accusations of inciting the disruption of elections, according to sources close to the regional police. From the pre-election period in October 2025 through the completion of Phase 3 of the election on January 25, 2026, junta forces and police detained civilians across multiple townships, including Maubin, Kyangin, Hinthada, Zalun, Laymyethna, Phyapon, Yekyi, Pathein, Myaungmya, Wakema, Einme, Kyonpyaw, and Kyaunggon. Those arrested were charged under the junta’s election protection laws, with some already sentenced to prison terms. Family members reported that arrests involved phone confiscations and that even minor actions, such as sharing a Facebook post critical of the election, led to detention. All detainees were charged under Section 23(a) of the law on protecting multi-party democratic elections from disruption, which criminalizes speech, organizing, protests, or publications deemed to interfere with the election process and carries penalties ranging from three to seven years in prison.