In August 2025, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Myanmar witnessed significant political and electoral developments. The Election Commission intensified preparations for the upcoming general elections by introducing a new electoral roadmap. Meanwhile, in Myanmar, the military junta pushed forward with plans for its first election since the 2021 coup, introducing amendments to the electoral law while simultaneously escalating military offensives aimed at seizing resistance-held areas ahead of the polls. In Cambodia, tensions with Thailand over border disputes reached a new dimension, even as the government deepened its crackdown on dissent, this time marked by a rise in nationalist rhetoric to consolidate its grip on power.
In Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Election Commission (BEC) released a comprehensive 24-point roadmap, with the official election schedule expected in mid-December 2025. The roadmap outlines key milestones, including the finalization of constituency delimitation by 15 September, completion of new political party registrations by 30 September, and publication of the final voter list by 30 November. BEC also emphasized its intention to engage with various election stakeholders to ensure that the upcoming elections are free, fair, transparent, and inclusive.
Despite these efforts, political tensions remain high. The National Consensus Commission has yet to receive feedback from several political parties on the July Charter, an agreement intended to secure commitments from all parties to continue the reform process launched after the 2024 uprising. Some parties have even threatened to boycott the elections if the charter is not signed. At the same time, momentum is building among political actors to form coalitions ahead of the polls, signaling an increasingly competitive pre-election landscape.
In Cambodia, the government has continued its crackdown on political opponents and journalists, with harassment against the media taking new forms amid the ongoing Thai–Cambodian border conflict. Several journalists have been arrested, and at least one media license has been revoked for reporting on the border tensions. At the same time, the government has maintained participation in certain international human rights dialogues, even as the domestic human rights situation continues to deteriorate
In Myanmar, the junta has intensified preparations for its planned general elections, officially declaring that the first phase will take place on 28 December 2025. The military-controlled National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) has issued the second amendment to the Political Parties Registration Law, while the junta-led Union Election Commission (UEC) released by-laws concerning the three Hluttaws (parliaments) and the official designation of constituencies for the 2025 polls. Under these amendments, the controversial elections will adopt a mixed electoral system that Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House) will use the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system, while the Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House) and the Region/State Hluttaws will use a hybrid model combining FPTP with proportional representation.
At the same time, the junta has launched a lobbying campaign to secure international legitimacy for the polls, while intensifying military operations across the country in the lead-up to December. According to Burma News International- Myanmar Peace Monitor (BNI-MPM), over 600 airstrikes were carried out nationwide between January and June 2025, as the military sought to consolidate control over resistance-held and contested areas.
Resistance forces have rejected the planned elections, both collectively and individually, while regional and international actors including the United Nations, International IDEA, and the Asian Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) have raised serious concerns. They have warned that proceeding with the junta-organized elections would further escalate violence and deepen Myanmar’s crisis rather than contribute to any genuine political resolution.
Read the full brief here: “Resilience Watch | Monthly Brief on Countries Under Restrictive Environment (Series #17)“