Latest news with #Yangon
The Independent
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Myanmar ends state of emergency and military leader switches roles to prepare for polls
Myanmar's military government announced Thursday it was ending the state of emergency it first declared after seizing power 4 1/2 years ago and restructuring its administrative bodies to prepare for a new election at the end of the year. The plans for the polls on an unspecificed date in December face serious obstacles, including a civil war raging over most of the country and vows by opponents of military rule to derail the election because they believe it can be neither free nor fair. Under the restructuring, the head of the military government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, gives up two posts but will serve in other positions that keep him at the center of power. The joint announcements came as the last of seven consecutive six-month, emergency-rule decrees was set to expire Thursday at midnight. The military imposed emergency rule and created new administrative structures after it ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, 2021, arresting her and members of her ruling National League for Democracy party. The military claimed Suu Kyi's government failed to address fraud claims in the 2020 election, though independent observers did not find irregularities. The emergency decree empowered the military to assume all government functions, giving legislative, judicial and executive powers to Min Aung Hlaing as head of the ruling military council, formally called the State Administration Council. Despite losing his post as chief of the now-dissolved council and relinquishing the job of prime minister to his advisor, Gen. Nyo Saw, Min Aung Hlaing will exercise more influence as Myanmar 's acting president with increased authority under the restructuring. Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, the military's spokesperson, said the state of emergency has been lifted to allow the election process to continue. 'Elections will be held within six months after the emergency period is lifted,' he said. The existing administrative bodies formed after the army takeover, including the State Administration Council, have been dissolved and all government functions have been handed to the National Defense and Security Council, Zaw Min Tun said. The National Defense and Security Council is nominally a constitutional administrative government body, but in practice is controlled by the military. Min Aung Hlaing, as acting president, is already its key member. State-run MRTV television reported the National Defense and Security Council formed a new entity, the State Security and Peace Commission, also to be headed by Min Aung Hlaing, handing him another lever of power. The army's 2021 takeover was met with widespread peaceful protests that security forces suppressed with lethal force, triggering armed resistance and embroiling the country in a civil war. As of Wednesday, 7,013 people have been killed and 29,471 were arrested by the security forces since the takeover, according to tallies kept by the independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners that the military government has challenged. Opponents, as well as independent analysts, estimate the army controls less than half the country, but is holding on tenaciously to much of central Myanmar, including the capital, Naypyidaw. It is accelerating counter-offensives to retake areas controlled by opposition forces ahead of the election. The military originally announced elections would be held in August 2023, but has repeatedly pushed back the date until recently saying they would take place in December without a specific date. Critics say the elections will not be democratic because there is no free media and most leaders of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party have been arrested. The plan is widely seen as an attempt to legitimize and maintain the military's rule. The National Unity Government, which calls itself the country's legitimate government and serves as an opposition umbrella group, and the powerful ethnic armed groups that have been fighting the central government for greater autonomy have said they would seek to deter the election. Nay Phone Latt, a National Unity Government spokesperson, said Thursday's actions by the regime could be a preparatory step to create a 'fake' election. 'As revolutionary forces, nothing will change in this regard and we will continue to fight until we achieve our goals based on our roadmaps,' Nay Phone Latt said.
South China Morning Post
20 hours ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Myanmar's state of emergency ends as junta forms commission to prepare for elections
Read more about this: Myanmar's ruling junta announced the end of the country's state of emergency and the formation of an 11-member commission for elections in December, state media reported on July 31, 2025. The commission will be led by military chief Min Aung Hlaing, who will continue to effectively remain in charge of the country in his capacity as the interim president. The proposed election, to take place in December 2025, will be the first national polls since a 2021 military coup sparked a civil war.
CNA
a day ago
- Politics
- CNA
Myanmar junta ends state of emergency in election run-up
YANGON: Myanmar's military government ended its state of emergency on Thursday (Jul 31), ramping up plans for a December election that opposition groups pledged to boycott and monitors said will be used to consolidate the military's power. The military declared a state of emergency in February 2021 as it deposed the civilian government of democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking a many-sided civil war which has claimed thousands of lives. The order gave junta chief Min Aung Hlaing supreme power over the legislature, executive and judiciary - but he has recently touted elections as an off-ramp to the conflict. Opposition groups including ex-lawmakers ousted in the coup have pledged to snub the poll, which a UN expert last month dismissed as "a fraud" designed to legitimise the military's continuing rule. "The state of emergency is abolished today in order for the country to hold elections on the path to a multi-party democracy," junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said in a voice message shared with reporters. "Elections will be held within six months," he added. Analysts predict Min Aung Hlaing will keep a role as either president or armed forces chief following the election and consolidate power in that office, thereby extending his tenure as de facto ruler. A flurry of statements and orders announced a new "Union Government" had been formed alongside a "National Security and Peace Commission" to oversee defence and the election process. Both will be led by Min Aung Hlaing who will remain acting president, according to orders he signed himself. "We have already passed the first chapter," Min Aung Hlaing said in a speech in Naypyidaw reported in state newspaper The Global New Light of Myanmar on Thursday. "Now, we are starting the second chapter," he told members of the junta's administration council at what the newspaper called an "honorary ceremony" for its members. "The upcoming election will be held this December, and efforts will be made to enable all eligible voters to cast their ballots," the newspaper reported, paraphrasing another part of his speech. NO DATE SET No exact date for the poll has been announced by the junta, but political parties are being registered while training sessions on electronic voting machines have already taken place. The military government said Wednesday it enacted a new law dictating prison sentences of up to 10 years for speech or protests aiming to "destroy a part of the electoral process". A census held last year as preparation for the election estimated it failed to collect data from 19 million of the country's 51 million people, provisional results said. The results cited "significant security constraints" as one reason for the shortfall - giving a sign of how limited the reach of the election may be amid the civil war. Analysts have predicted rebels will stage offensives around the election as a sign of their opposition.
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Myanmar junta ends state of emergency in election run-up
Myanmar's military junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has recently touted elections as an off-ramp to the conflict. (AFP pic) YANGON : Myanmar's junta ended the country's state of emergency today, ramping up preparations for a December election being boycotted by opposition groups and criticised by international monitors. The military declared a state of emergency in February 2021 as it deposed the civilian government of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking a many-sided civil war which has claimed thousands of lives. The order gave junta chief Min Aung Hlaing supreme power over the legislature, executive and judiciary – but he has recently touted elections as an off-ramp to the conflict. Opposition groups including ex-lawmakers ousted in the coup have pledged to snub the poll, which a UN expert last month dismissed as 'a fraud' designed to legitimise the military's continuing rule. 'The state of emergency is abolished today in order for the country to hold elections on the path to a multi-party democracy,' junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said in a voice message shared with reporters. 'Elections will be held within six months,' he added. Analysts predict Min Aung Hlaing will keep a role as either president or armed forces chief following the election and consolidate power in that office, thereby extending his tenure as de facto ruler. 'We have already passed the first chapter,' Min Aung Hlaing said in a speech in Naypyidaw reported in state newspaper The Global New Light of Myanmar today. 'Now, we are starting the second chapter,' he told members of the junta's administration council at what the newspaper called an 'honorary ceremony' for its members. 'The upcoming election will be held this December, and efforts will be made to enable all eligible voters to cast their ballots,' the newspaper reported, paraphrasing another part of his speech. No date set No exact date for the poll has yet been announced by the junta, but political parties are being registered while training sessions on electronic voting machines have already taken place. Yesterday, the military government said it enacted a new law dictating prison sentences up to 10 years for speech or protests aiming to 'destroy a part of the electoral process'. However, a census held last year as preparation for the election estimated it failed to collect data from 19 million of the country's 51 million people, provisional results said. The results cited 'significant security constraints' as one reason for the shortfall – giving a sign of how limited the reach of the election may be amid the civil war. Analysts have predicted rebels will stage offensives around the election as a sign of their opposition. However, this month the junta begun offering cash rewards to those willing to lay down their arms and 'return to the legal fold' ahead of the vote.
France 24
a day ago
- Politics
- France 24
Myanmar's junta ends long-running state of emergency ahead of December elections
Myanmar 's junta ended the country's state of emergency on Thursday, ramping up preparations for a December election that has been criticised by international monitors and boycotted by opposition groups. "The state of emergency is abolished today in order for the country to hold elections on the path to a multi-party democracy," junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said in a voice message shared with reporters. "Elections will be held within six months," he added. The military declared a state of emergency in February 2021 as it deposed the civilian government of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking a many-sided civil war which has claimed thousands of lives. The 2021 state of emergency declaration gave military chief Min Aung Hlaing supreme power over the legislature, executive and judiciary – but he has recently touted elections as an off-ramp to the conflict. The military junta announced the formation of a 11-member commission led by Min Aung Hlaing to hold an election, state media reported on Thursday. Min Aung Hlaing will continue to effectively remain in charge of the country, in his capacity as the interim president who will oversee the vote, MRTV reported. New electoral law enacted Opposition groups including ex-lawmakers ousted in the coup have pledged to snub the poll, which a UN expert last month dismissed as "a fraud" designed to legitimise the military's continuing rule. Analysts predict Min Aung Hlaing will keep a role as either president or armed forces chief following the election and consolidate power in that office, thereby extending his tenure as de facto ruler. No exact date for the poll has yet been announced by the junta, but political parties are being registered while training sessions on electronic voting machines have already taken place. On Wednesday, the military government said it enacted a new law dictating prison sentences up to 10 years for speech or protests aiming to "destroy a part of the electoral process". Under the new law, anyone who speaks, organises, incites, protests or distributes letters to disrupt any part of the electoral process can be punished with three to 10 years imprisonment, as well as a fine. It also says that anyone who threatens, obstructs, abuses or severely hurts election commission staff, candidates or voters could be sentenced to three years to life in prison. A census held last year as preparation for the election failed to collect data from 19 million of the country's 51 million people, provisional results said. The results cited "significant security constraints" as one reason for the shortfall – giving a sign of how limited the reach of the election may be amid the civil war. Analysts have predicted rebels will stage offensives around the election as a sign of their opposition. But this month the junta begun offering cash rewards to those willing to lay down their arms and "return to the legal fold" ahead of the vote.
