Myanmar’s Military Imposes A Year-Long State of Emergency

Yangon, MINA -Myanmar’s military has imposed a year-long state of emergency since the arrest of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and a number of figures from his National League for Democracy (NLD) party on Monday.

The enactment was mentioned by pro-military television Myawaddy TV, which cited the Constitution that soldiers can take over control in an emergency, thus as quoted from Channel News Asia.

Apart from declaring a state of emergency and arresting Suu Kyi on charges of “election fraud”, the military also handed over power to Commander Min Aung Hlaing.

The reason for the takeover of power was the government’s failure to act on the “election fraud” last November, as well as the failure to postpone elections due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hours before the parliamentary session, internet lines and telephone services to the capital Naypyitaw were interrupted. Likewise, government TV did not operate.

Meanwhile, soldiers were on guard at several points in Yangon.

It is the first parliamentary session following the victory of the NLD’s perceived new democratic government last November.

In that election, the party led by Suu Kyi won 396 out of a total of 476 parliamentary seats for the lower and upper houses.

Meanwhile the military, according to their formulated Constitution, controls 25 percent of the total seats and a number of key positions in the ministry.

The military accuses Suu Kyi and her party of massive fraud, even without evidence.

Likewise, last week, the General Election Commission rejected the military accusation. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)