India Backs Myanmar's Democratic Transition Amid Junta Election Doubts

"India supports transition to democracy in Myanmar and is of the view that participation of all stakeholders is important for the credibility of the elections/electoral exercise that is going to happen there," Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), stated during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Monday.

"It needs to be free, fair and inclusive. India will continue to support all efforts that advance peace, dialogue and a return to normalcy in the country," he added.

Last month, a US-based advocacy group urged the foreign governments to reject Myanmar junta's plans to hold elections from late December 2025 through January 2026, arguing that polls will not be free, fair, or inclusive.

The rights body alleged that since the February 2021 military coup, the junta has systematically dismantled the rule of law and the country's nascent democratic systems, while intensifying repression and violence ahead of the polls.

On November 28, Jeremy Laurence, a spokesperson for the UN human rights office, OHCHR, termed the upcoming exercise as a military-controlled ballot conducted in an environment "rife with threats and violence" and actively suppressed political participation.

He stated that many major political parties have been excluded and more than 30,000 political opponents - including members of the democratically elected government and political representatives - have been detained since the 2021 coup.

"Far from being a process that could spearhead a political transition from crisis to stability and the restoration of democratic and civilian rule, this process seems nearly certain to further ingrain insecurity, fear and polarisation throughout the country," Laurence told reporters in Geneva.

As per the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), people across Myanmar continue to face the compounded effects of multiple crisis, including ongoing conflict, seasonal flooding, and the devastating earthquake that struck in March 2025.

Acting as a 'first responder' in times of crisis in the neighbourhood, India had launched 'Operation Brahma' to provide necessary support, including Search and Rescue (SAR), humanitarian aid, disaster relief and medical assistance, following the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, earlier this year.

"When the last earthquake happened in Myanmar. We were one of the first responders. We sent in a large team to provide relief to people. We also provided humanitarian assistance, medical support. We set up a temporary hospital there and subsequent to that we continue to offer whatever help that we can so that people's lives can come back to normal. We have development cooperation assistance with Myanmar which is an important part of our collaboration," Jaiswal said on Monday.

- IANS