Myanmar’s Military Postpones Election, Citing Ongoing Violence
Myanmar’s military has announced the formal postponement of the promised election scheduled for August, citing ongoing violence that has persisted since the 2021 coup. The announcement was made through a statement released by Myanmar state television on July 31.
“In order to hold free and fair elections and allow citizens to vote without fear, we still need to develop some necessary security measures, therefore, the duration of the state of emergency has been extended,” the statement said. The military acknowledged that it did not have sufficient control to hold elections or suppress the widespread opposition to its rule, which includes armed resistance movements, nonviolent protests, and civil disobedience movements.
This decision comes after the military arrested elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior officials of the ruling party on February 1, 2021. The military declared a state of emergency, alleging widespread fraud in the November 2020 elections, which led to the victory of the Myanmar National League for Democracy. The military takeover marked a setback in the country’s democratic progress after 50 years of military rule.
Initially, the military announced that new elections would be called after a year, but later changed the timeline to August 2023. However, coup leader Min Aung Hlaing stated at a meeting on July 31 that ongoing wars in several regions and states of Myanmar made it impossible to hold elections soon.
“It will take us some time to continue our systematic preparation duties because we should not rush into elections,” Min Aung Hlaing said. The report did not specify when the vote would be held but mentioned that it would take place after the state of emergency’s goal is achieved.
The state of emergency has been extended for the fourth time, granting the military full control of government functions and granting Min Aung Hlaing legislative, judicial, and executive powers.
The extension of the state of emergency was expected by Myanmar’s National Unity Government, the self-proclaimed legitimate government. A spokesperson for the government said that the military seeks to hold onto power and that revolutionary activities will continue.
The United States criticized the extension, stating that it would lead Burma deeper into violence and instability. The State Department condemned the military regime’s actions since the coup, including airstrikes, home burnings, and the displacement of over 1.6 million people.
According to local monitoring groups, the military crackdown on dissent has resulted in over 3,800 deaths and more than 24,000 arrests. The military, on the other hand, claims that over 5,000 civilians have been killed by “terrorists” since it took power.
Diplomatic efforts led by the United Nations and ASEAN to resolve the conflict have stalled due to Myanmar’s military’s refusal to engage with its rivals.