A ghost town votes in Myanmar election’s second phase

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOKHpapun was once a bustling town with its own airport. Now it’s empty and Sunday’s election there is meaningless amid ongoing fighting between the army and rebel groups.Reporting from Yangon and Hpapun, MyanmarPublished On 11 Jan 2026The town of Hpapun was once a bustling regional hub with banks, regional government offices, and stores that supplied the surrounding valleys.It even had its own airport, which was particularly useful in this remote corner of eastern Myanmar.The ruling military government say Hpapun will be part of the second phase of voting when the general election resumes this Sunday, after the first phase at the end of December.The only problem: Hpapun is actually a ghost town.On the walls of the police station, a sign asks helpfully, “Can We Help You?” in English. But just inside the gate, a white skull and crossbones on a red background warns of landmines planted inside.When Al Jazeera visited Hpapun several weeks ago, not a single soul remained in the town, and all the businesses and homes had been either burned, bombed or reclaimed by the jungle.Some voting will take place inside the Tactical Command post about 10km (6 miles) down the road. But anyone wanting to cast their ballot will have to get past landmines, booby traps and about 800 government soldiers, who have been under siege since 2024.Tin Oo, commander of the People’s Defence Force, a rebel group trying to push the government out of the area [Tony Cheng/ Al Jazeera]“The military junta’s upcoming election is a sham. It’s a staged, fake election designed to maintain the power they have stolen,” says Tin Oo, commander of the People’s Defence Force, one of the groups of fighters currently trying to clear government forces out of the area.