Myanmar Junta Extends State of Emergency, Delays Elections Again

Myanmar has been in a state of turmoil. Three and a half years later, the junta is still battling widespread armed resistance and has recently faced notable defeats against an alliance of ethnic minority armed groups.

Staff Reporter

Aug 1, 2024, 10:53 AM2 min read

Myanmar Junta Extends State of Emergency, Delays Elections Again

The extension of the state of emergency would again delay fresh polls the junta has promised to hold as it battles opposition to its coup. PHOTO: AFP

On Wednesday, Myanmar's military junta extended the state of emergency by another six months, postponing the fresh elections it had previously promised as it continues to face significant opposition to its 2021 coup.

Since the February 2021 coup that ended a decade-long experiment with democracy and triggered widespread protests and dissent, Myanmar has been in a state of turmoil. Three and a half years later, the junta is still battling widespread armed resistance and has recently faced notable defeats against an alliance of ethnic minority armed groups.

The junta had planned to hold elections following an initial two-year state of emergency but has been unable to do so "due to the terrorist acts" by its opponents, according to state broadcaster MRTV. The junta-stacked National Defence and Security Council "unanimously decided to extend the period of the state of emergency for another six months," as reported by MRTV.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing proposed the extension to prepare "valid and accurate ballots" for the promised elections, which might take place in 2025. The extension is also intended to facilitate a population census and continue other necessary tasks, according to MRTV.

Under the military-drafted 2008 constitution, fresh elections are required within six months after a state of emergency is lifted. The military took control after alleging fraud in the 2020 elections, where Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) achieved a landslide victory.

The junta has repeatedly extended the state of emergency while combating established ethnic minority armed groups and newer pro-democracy "People's Defence Forces." Recently, the military has suffered several battlefield losses to an alliance of ethnic minority armed groups in the country's north and west.

Last week, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) claimed to have seized Lashio, a northern town critical for trade with China and the location of the military's northeastern command. The junta has denied this claim. Losing Lashio would be a significant setback for the junta, which has already lost territory to the MNDAA and other armed groups in recent weeks.

In January, the MNDAA captured Laukkai, near Myanmar's border with China, after around 2,000 junta troops surrendered, marking one of the military's most significant defeats in decades.

The ongoing conflict since the coup has forced 2.7 million people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations. More than 5,400 people have been killed, and 27,000 arrested during the junta's crackdown on dissent.

Although the junta has announced plans for elections in 2025, critics argue that these polls will not be free or fair. Last year, the junta-dominated election commission declared the dissolution of Suu Kyi's NLD for failing to re-register under a stringent new military-drafted electoral law.

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