Myanmar military government extends state of emergency by six months

Myanmar’s military government has extended the country’s state of emergency by six months as it struggles to maintain its grip on power.

All members of the military-controlled National Defence and Security Council “unanimously decided” to extend the state of emergency on Wednesday owing to “terrorist acts” by government opponents, said state broadcaster MRTV.

Army chief and Acting President Min Aung Hlaing had proposed the extension to “prepare valid and accurate ballots” for elections scheduled for 2025, said the broadcaster, adding that the delay was needed to “carry out the population census”.

Last week, all responsibilities of Myanmar’s figurehead president were handed over to Min Aung Hlaing after Myint Swe, the acting president at the time, was placed on medical leave due to a prolonged illness.

Min Aung Hlaing has repeatedly promised to hold a multiparty election, saying in June that polls will be conducted in 2025.

Critics say the proposed polls will be neither free nor fair.

Multiple extensions

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power in February 2021, making unsubstantiated allegations of fraud in the 2020 elections which Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won in a landslide victory.The military put the country under emergency rule for a year when it took power, extending the measure multiple times as it battled established ethnic minority armed groups and newer pro-democracy People’s Defence Forces.