Myanmar again postpones promised elections as military regime extends ‘state of emergency’
Military chief claims ‘voting is impossible in more than half of some regions and states’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Myanmar’s junta has extended its state of emergency across the country for another six months, effectively postposing elections that were promised earlier.
Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing announced on Wednesday that due to the “extraordinary situation” in the country – a reference to the resistance the military has faced – general elections will be postponed as well.
The Irrawaddy news website quoted the chief as saying that “the regime finds it difficult to compile accurate voter lists because of the resistance attacks on census takers”.
“While at least 50 per cent of lawmakers must be elected to regional and state parliaments for them to convene, voting is impossible in more than half of some regions and states,” he said.
Former general Myint Swe, who heads the military-dominated National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) as its acting president, announced the extension of the state of emergency.
The first day of February marked the second anniversary of the junta’s coup, which toppled the democratically elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since then and the junta’s subsequent crackdown on dissent has sparked fighting and rebellion across the country.
Tom Andrews, the UN’s Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Myanmar, called the situation in the country a human rights catastrophe and urged for a coordinated global response to support the country’s people.
He told CNA that “the election was going to be a sham”.
“You cannot have a free and fair election when you arrest, detain, torture and execute the opposition (and) when you arrest journalists for doing their job,” he added.
Mr Andrews said “the state of emergency reflects a decline in the ability of the military junta to control the country”.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the extension prolonged “the military’s illegitimate rule and the suffering it inflicts upon the country”.
He said the US was determined to work with other countries to “deny the regime international credibility”.
Mr Price also denounced the junta’s version of “so-called elections, which will exacerbate violence and instability and will not be representative of the country’s people”.
Since the junta’s coup in 2021, the regime has killed 2,947 people in atrocities committed across the country. Local media said among those murdered were 282 children.
At least 17,572 people, including 489 children, have been jailed for opposing military rule and 13,763 are still in prison, according to a local monitoring group.
Military tribunals have sentenced 143 people, including anti-junta activists, to death.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments