TEMPO.CO, Burma – The head of BurmaThe national junta, Min Aung Hlaing, will extend the state of emergency in the country for another six months, state media announced on Monday, reporting that the junta’s defense and national security council had given its approval.

The junta first declared a state of emergency after seizing power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup in February last year.

“Members (of the Security Council) unanimously backed the proposal to extend the period of the declared state of emergency by six months,” Myanmar’s Global New Light reported.

“In our country, we must continue to strengthen the ‘genuine and disciplined multi-party democratic system’ which is the desire of the people,” the newspaper quoted Min Aung Hlaing as saying.

Myanmar has been plunged into chaos since the coup, with conflict spreading across the Southeast Asian country after the military crushed mostly peaceful protests in cities.

The junta said it seized power due to voter fraud in the November 2020 general election which was easily won by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s party. Election monitoring groups found no evidence of mass fraud.

The army has pledged to hold new elections in August 2023, although the timetable has already slipped and opponents do not believe the planned elections will be free and fair.

Reuters

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