Myanmar’s ruling military junta has announced an extension to the country’s state of emergency period for a further six months, according to reports from military-run media Myawady TV. This follows an earlier extension of the state of emergency period on July 31, 2023, and the postponing of an election they had promised to stage in August 2023. The state of emergency was initially declared in the aftermath of the 2021 coup and has been consistently extended since that time.
While Article 425 of the Constitution typically only permits a state of emergency to be extended twice, the junta outlined its necessity to extend the state of emergency, highlighting that Myanmar is in an unusual situation. It expressed concerns about the weak rule of law and the deprivation of socio-economic life among local ethnics in northern Myanmar due to ongoing armed conflicts.
The junta espouses the development of a more effective public defense system to enhance public security in Myanmar. It praises its military personnel for their ‘”brave and daring actions” aimed at protecting the country’s stability and security from current destructive activities.
In contrast, the junta condemns opposing organizations for hindering the conduct of multi-party democratic elections in Myanmar. The National Unity Government (NUG), the leading adversarial group assembled in April 2021, after many of its members were ousted from the ruling government during the 2021 coup. The NUG has since operated as a government in exile.
António Guterres, UN Security-General, expressed concerns about the protection of civilians in Myanmar. He pointed to the continuing humanitarian crisis and stressed the importance of ensuring all communities in Myanmar are safeguarded.
Earlier last month, the Centre for Information Resilience suggested a correlation between areas in Myanmar under junta’s martial law and those subject to airstrikes. It also alleged that ethnic and religious minorities were targeted by the military. Moreover, on December 21, 2022, the UN Security Council expressed concerns over the state of emergency extension and condemned the junta for executing pro-democracy activists.