State media reports Friday say Myanmar ruling military junta is extending the state of emergency for another six months. The move also happens just one day before the four-year anniversary of the military coup that uprooted a democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, plunging the country into turmoil and civil unrest.
Pro democracy groups and ethnic armed organizations have been fighting the junta in wars that have led to widespread violence since then. In February 2021, the military overthrow demolished the last 10 years of democracy. Since then, Myanmar went through violent conflict in which thousands of civilians have been killed and many more driven from their homes.
The state of emergency was extended to enable the election of a ‘free and fair’ poll, state-run Myanmar Digital News said in the announcement. Whereas the junta has pledged to hold elections in 2023, critics, including domestic and international observers, have rejected the planned election as a farce designed to justify the continued military grip on power by placing the power in the hands of military proxies.
The junta’s announcement was aimed at reassuring the international community that stability and peace are essential for a successful election in Myanmar, and security concerns are still a pressing issue in the country. The military government says it is taking steps to restore order, but on the ground, there is continued armed resistance and protests demanding civilian rule to be restored.
Since the coup, as Myanmar marks its anniversary, the international community has been calling for the restoration of democracy and for protecting human rights, and the junta has been holding firm to its control of the country.
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