Burma state television MRTV reported on July 31 that the ruling junta has postponed an election that it previously promised to hold in August this year. Instead, junta leader Gen. Min Aung Hlaing extended the country’s state of emergency period for another six months, starting on Aug. 1. The state of emergency was initially declared in the aftermath of the February 2021 coup.
Gen. Min Aung Hlaing stated that the election could not occur due to continued fighting in certain regions of Burma, including Sagaing, Bago and Magway. In addition, the junta statement said that it would need to put in place additional security arrangements to ensure the elections are “free and fair.”
Following the announcement, the US State Department released a statement, reading:
The United States is deeply concerned by the Burma military regime’s extension of the state of emergency, which comes as the regime plunges the country deeper into violence and instability…. The regime’s widespread brutality and disregard for the democratic aspirations of the people of Burma continue to prolong the crisis…. We continue to call for it to end its violence and atrocities, release those unjustly detained, allow unhindered humanitarian access, seek justice for survivors, and engage with all stakeholders to pursue a peaceful, just, and democratic future for Burma.
Burma’s ruling junta, which came to power after overthrowing the previous democratically elected government in February 2021, has been condemned for its use of violence. On June 21, UN special rapporteur Tom Andrews called upon the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)—of which Burma is a member—to address the crisis in the country. Following a meeting of their foreign ministers on July 12, ASEAN criticized Burma’s junta for violating human rights. ASEAN foreign ministers condemned continued acts of violence in Burma, such as artillery shelling of civilian areas, and called on all relevant parties to cease indiscriminate violence and build a conducive environment for humanitarian assistance.
From Jurist, Aug. 1. Used with permission.
Map: PCL
