1/9/26, 3:02 PM ‘We are always living in fear’: inside Myanmar’s ‘sham’ election | Myanmar | The Guardian Myanmar ‘We are always living in fear’: inside Myanmar’s ‘sham’ election Myanmar’s military rulers are holding the first elections since the 2021 coup, and life in the country’s biggest city is fraught with anxiety People walk past election campaign posters in downtown Yangon, Myanmar. Myanmar began a multi-phase general election with voting set to continue into January. Photograph: Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images Rebecca Ratcliffe in Yangon and Aung Khant Si Thu Fri 2 Jan 2026 00.29 GMT Yangon feels, on the surface, like a normal, bustling city. In downtown areas, commuters stream past roadside sellers and diners perch beneath parasols. Packed buses and cars chug along the roads. At sunset, young people stop to pose for photos opposite the famous Sule pagoda, as it gleams against a pinkblue sky. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/02/inside-myanmar-sham-election 1/7