Late one night last month, Iang Za Kim heard explosions in a neighboring village followed by fighter jets flying overhead. Scared for her life, she fled into the jungles surrounding her village in Chin State, Myanmar. She is one of many civilians escaping a brutal military campaign as elections approach.
Since mid-November, the Myanmar military has launched intense air strikes, targeting civilian areas, and prompting mass displacement. Thousands of families, including Iang's, have left their homes, fearing both bombings and forced voting in what many consider a sham election scheduled for December 28.
If we are caught and refuse to vote, they will put us in jail and torture us, Iang said, highlighting the dire choice many face. The military's recent offensives in Chin State have been described as the fiercest in over three years, leading to fatalities and injuries among civilians and the military's opponents alike.
Having crossed into India's Mizoram, Iang and others find temporary refuge, their belongings hastily packed. Local villagers have given them food, but the psychological toll of displacement is evident. Ral Uk Thang, aged 80, expressed the dangers of living under a regime that has arrested and tortured people mercilessly.
While the junta's narratives present the elections as a step towards democracy, the reality, according to many, is starkly different. The National League for Democracy party, previously dominant, is barred from participating, with its leaders imprisoned. As the election nears, rebel groups denounce the military's actions and the legitimacy of the electoral process.
As violence escalates, the plight of the Burmese people continues, with many like Abel, an 18-year-old fighter wounded in battle, embodying both the despair and resilience of a generation determined to seek freedom from tyranny.
