Myanmar junta extends emergency for another 6 months

Yangon/Myanmar: National Defence and Security Council in Myanmar has resolved to extend the emergency in the country by six more months, state media reported on Wednesday. This would mean state elections, which the junta pledged to hold by August, will get postponed, Agence France-Presse reported.

According to the state's broadcaster MRTV, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing sought to extend the emergency, and it was agreed upon. The emergency was first declared in February 2021 after the junta toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Acting President Myint Swe said that the state of emergency would be prolonged for another six months from February 1. The sovereign power of the state has been transferred to the commander-in-chief again, Swe added.

The state of emergency was to end on January 31, but on Tuesday, the National Defence and Security Council met and discussed the state of the nation. The meeting concluded that the country is yet to reach normalcy.

The military's information team claimed in a statement that some opponents of the junta, such as anti-coup "People's Defence Forces" and a government of lawmakers from Suu Kyi's party, had attempted to wrest power by means of violence.