Myanmar Junta Extends State of Emergency by Six Months

• 02 Aug 2023

On 31^st July, Myanmar's National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) agreed to extend the state of emergency by six months, as announced on the junta's Myawady TV channel.

Key Points:

• Extension of State of Emergency: This extension could lead to the delay of elections, which the Junta had previously pledged to conduct by August.
• Background on State of Emergency: The state of emergency was initially declared in February 2021, following the military's removal of the democratically elected government of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
• Since then, Myanmar has experienced turmoil and unrest.
• Constitutional Provisions for Emergency Declarations: Myanmar's constitution allows for an initial declaration of a state of emergency for one year.
• It can be extended for a maximum of two half-year terms, as per the discretion of the military-dominated NDSC.
• Violations of Constitutional Provisions: In January of the current year, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing declared an emergency for the third time, breaching the constitutional limit.
• Today's extension marks the second instance of the Junta's violation of the constitutional provisions concerning the state of emergency.