Bangladesh, Dec. 28 -- Myanmars military junta has pushed ahead with the first phase of its long-promised general election, closing the initial round on December 28 amid widespread skepticism, armed conflict, and signs of historically low voter participation. Touted by the generals as a pathway to political stability, the election has instead reinforced international concerns that the process is little more than a carefully managed exercise designed to entrench military rule under a thin civilian façade.

This is the first nationwide vote since the February 2021 coup that toppled the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The coup not only ended a decade-long experiment with limited democratic reform but a...