Myanmar’s ruling military has extended the country’s state of emergency for another six months, state media reported on Friday, just ahead of the four-year anniversary of the coup that ended a decade of fragile democracy.
The military’s 2021 overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government plunged the country into chaos, triggering a nationwide civil war. Despite facing armed resistance and a deepening crisis, the junta insists on holding elections this year—widely dismissed by critics as a ploy to maintain power through proxies.
State-run MRTV justified the emergency extension, claiming that “stability and peace are still needed” for a “free and fair election”. However, no date has been set for the vote, and opposition groups have vowed to disrupt it, urging the international community not to recognize the results.
The military continues to struggle with an armed rebellion rooted in the youth-led protests it crushed with deadly force. The conflict has displaced three million people, worsened food insecurity, and left a third of the population in need of humanitarian aid, according to the UN.
Despite the worsening humanitarian crisis, the junta remains resolute in its election plans, even as multiple political parties have been banned or refuse to participate. The UN has called for dialogue, warning that Myanmar’s leaders must move beyond a “zero-sum mentality” to find a peaceful resolution.
