CNI News
21 November 2025
Political parties are struggling to survive amid ongoing armed conflicts, according to Dr. Aye Maung, Chairman of the Arakan Front Party (AFP), speaking to CNI News.
Intense clashes are occurring nationwide between the Myanmar military and various armed groups, and these groups have warned political parties not to cooperate with or participate in the upcoming elections.
Dr. Aye Maung told CNI that political parties are finding it extremely difficult to operate in such conditions.
He said:“There are many problems even before the election period begins. Especially in Rakhine, the war has caused widespread suffering and the refugees have increased. Because of that, meetings with the people and even gatherings in relatively peaceful areas have become rare. In IDP camps, it is extremely difficult for political parties to conduct activities such as membership registration, mobilization, or discussions. Under such armed conflict, political parties must struggle simply to stay alive. Schools used to be our main places for party outreach, but now even those spaces are unavailable.”
Sai Htay Aung
Meanwhile, armed organizations and Spring Revolution forces have repeatedly declared their intention to disrupt the planned election and to take action against those cooperating with it.
In the current situation, political parties must take risks, and avoiding direct encounters with armed groups is essential, said Sai Htay Aung, Chairman of the Tai Leng (Shanni) Nationalities Development Party.
“When armed groups grow stronger, the battlefield expands. But for the political arena to expand, politicians must take risks. Only when the political space broadens can citizens have security and livelihoods. For that reason, we politicians today must take on that historical responsibility. To expand political space, we have to take risks and work. Information is crucial—since political parties originate from the public, we need to gather information early.”, he said.
An armed man
“For example, I planned to travel to Myitkyina on the 2nd November. Our party informed the UEC in advance through our party’s outreach page. But then we received information that the KIA had deployed a military column between Myitkyina and Mayan, and that KIA had armed PDF forces in Letpadan, Nat Mauk, and Nansang. When such information reaches us, we must reconsider our plans. Avoiding direct encounters with armed groups is extremely important. Right now, political parties must take risks, but we must work with caution.”, he aid.
Armed conflicts in Myanmar have persisted since shortly after independence in 1948. Until now, no effective method has been found to reduce or eliminate the number of armed organizations in the country.
Despite these challenges, political parties are preparing to contest the nationwide election scheduled for December 28, 2025.
