Myanmar junta extends state of emergency by six months
Myanmar soldiers
Myanmar's National Defence and Security Council released a statement on Wednesday (Jan 31) saying that it has extended the state of emergency by six months. The announcement by the Myanmar junta suggests that the elections, which were promised by them, have again been delayed.
In a statement, the junta said, "U Myint Swe, the acting president announced the extension of the state of emergency for another six months... as the situation is not normal and to be able to continue the process of combatting terrorists."
A coup d'état started in Myanmar on February 1, 2021, when democratically elected members of the country's ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), were deposed by the country's military. The state of emergency has been extended multiple times since Feb 2021.
Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi was detained along with ministers and members of the parliament. Ever since Suu Kyi has been in custody and facing multiple charges.
Last year in September, Myanmar's junta said it would likely hold elections in 2025. Myanmar's military-drafted 2008 constitution requires authorities to hold fresh elections within six months of a state of emergency being lifted, but it appears to be unlikely.
The arrest of Suu Kyi led to mass protests and a crackdown on dissent. More than 4,400 people have been killed in the military's crackdown on dissent, according to a local monitoring group.
Myanmar's action on junta-backed Chinese warlords
Myanmar has handed over three Chinese warlords to Beijing, who were notorious for trafficking thousands of foreign nationals to forcibly run scams, a BBC report mentioned.
The report added that Bai Suocheng, Wei Chaoren and Liu Zhengxiang led three of four families which ruled Laukkaing on Myanmar's north-eastern border with China.
Authorities used a chartered flight, to take them taken to China, with seven others. The report highlighted how this incident showsdownfall of the military-backed Chinese mafia in Myanmar.
(With inputs from agencies)