Myanmar extends state of emergency for six months
Naypyidaw, Aug 01: Myanmar's junta will extend the state of emergency in the country for a further six months, state media reported on Monday.
The junta first declared a state of emergency after seizing power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup in February last year.
Leader of the junta, Min Aung Hlaing requested the military government to "allow him to serve for an additional 6 months," according to a report in the Global New Light of Myanmar.
The report said members of the junta's National Defence and Security Council unanimously supported the decision.
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State
of
emergency
since
2021
The
state
of
emergency
was
declared
in
February
2021,
after
a
coup
ousted
Suu
Kyi's
government.
The
junta
has
said
elections
will
be
held,
and
the
state
of
emergency
would
be
lifted
by
August
2023.
However, doubts have been raised about whether the elections will take place at all.
The army alleges election fraud during the 2020 elections, which were won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD). Election monitoring groups have found no evidence of fraud.
Suu Kyi has been detained since the coup, and faces multiple charges.
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Since the takeover, there has been a crackdown on dissent and press freedom. On Saturday, a Japanese video journalist was detained by security forces in Myanmar while covering a protest against military rule in Yangon, according to pro-democracy activists.
The Japanese government on Monday later confirmed that one of its citizens had been arrested in Myanmar, with Tokyo calling for his release.
Source: DW