Myanmar’s Junta Extends State of Emergency, Further Postponing Elections
Photo: AFP
Myanmar’s military rulers have announced a further six-month extension of the state of emergency, a move that delays the promised elections once again since the military seized power on February 1, 2021. The extension was declared on Wednesday by Vice President U Myint Swe, who has been acting as the president since the coup. The junta’s statement justified the extension on the grounds that the country’s situation has yet to return to normalcy. It also cited the ongoing need to combat what it labels as “terrorist” threats, a term it has frequently used to describe armed resistance groups and opponents of military rule. The military, known as the Tatmadaw, initially took control of Myanmar, ousting the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The coup led to widespread protests and civil disobedience movements across the nation, which the military has attempted to suppress through increasingly repressive measures. Since the coup, the state of emergency has been renewed multiple times. The country has seen an escalation in civil conflict, with clashes occurring between the Tatmadaw and various ethnic armed organizations, as well as newly formed People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) that oppose the military regime. The junta’s efforts to consolidate power have been met with both domestic and international condemnation.
