Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing will extend the country’s state of emergency for another six months, state media reported on Monday, announcing that the junta’s National Defense and Security Council had given its approval.The junta first declared a state of emergency after taking power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup in February last year.”(Security Council) members unanimously supported the proposal to extend the declared state of emergency for another six months,” Global New Light of Myanmar said.
“In our country, we must continue to strengthen the ‘genuine and disciplined multi-party democratic system,’ which is the wish of the people,” the paper quoted Min Aung Hlaing as saying. Myanmar has been in chaos since the coup, with conflict spreading across the Southeast Asian country after the military crushed largely peaceful protests in cities. The junta said it took power due to electoral fraud in the November 2020 general election, which was easily won by the party of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Election monitoring groups found no evidence of mass fraud.The military has pledged to hold new elections in August 2023, although the timetable has already fallen through and opponents do not believe the planned elections will be free and fair.
