Myanmar military leader extends rule, pledges to hold new multiparty elections in 2023

Nearly six months after the Myanmar military snatched power from the country’s civilian government, the chief of the armed forces said on Sunday that the new elections would be held in the country and the prevailing state of emergency would be revoked by August 2023, thus extending the rule of the military by nearly 18 months.

The state of emergency was imposed initially for a period of one year, according to the military’s announcement days after it ousted the elected leader of the country Aung San Suu Kyi in February this year.

The state administration council, as the junta calls itself, also appointed Min Aung Hlaing as the prime minister of the “caretaker government,” it announced in a separate statement.

In a televised address, Min Aung Hlaing announced the junta’s decision to extend the military’s rule. “We will accomplish the provisions of the state of emergency by August 2023,” he said. “I pledge to hold multi-party elections without fail,” he added.

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Agreement with Asean

Further, the military chief also said that the junta is ready to work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (Asean) special envoy to the country.

“Myanmar is ready to work on ASEAN cooperation within the ASEAN framework including the dialogue with the ASEAN Special Envoy in Myanmar,” news agency Reuters quoted Hlaing as saying.

The United Nations has noted that the Asean is best placed to lead the diplomatic efforts to restore stability in Myanmar. However, the 10-member bloc has been divided on the selection of a person as the envoy with some member states suggesting more than one person to reach a consensus. The foreign ministers of Asean countries are meeting on Monday (August 2) to discuss the issue along with several regional and international issues. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also scheduled to attend the meetings, during which he would discuss the ongoing crisis in Myanmar and actions to address the climate crisis.

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Turmoil in Myanmar

Meanwhile, the situation in Myanmar has deteriorated owing to the lack of stability following protests by the public against the military takeover. The military has cracked down heavily on the protesters and according to several reports, more than 900 people have been killed by the authorities.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an activist group, has said that 939 people have been killed so far by the armed forces and 6,990 people have been arrested in the military’s bid to suppress dissent, according to a Reuters report.

Alongside the political instability, the Covid-19 pandemic has also wreaked havoc in the country as many hospitals are empty due to the absence of medical staff favouring the democratic government. The United Nations’ special rapporteur to Myanmar Tom Andrews has expressed his concerns regarding the pandemic several times in the past. Recently, he also requested the military to assist in distributing aid to people who have been displaced or have been protesting.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained by the forces since February 1, 2021, and has been accused of several charges, ranging from flouting Covid-19 restrictions in place to illegally importing walkie talkies into the country, for which she could potentially be jailed for more than a decade, according to a report by AFP. The military has alleged more than 11 million instances of voter fraud during the country’s 2020 elections in which Suu Kyi’s party National League for Democracy won by a landslide.