The military junta that has ruled Myanmar since the coup in February 2020 has announced that the country’s state of emergency will be extended for another six months.
The state of emergency had been introduced after the coup and had given the military junta extraordinary powers, effectively allowing it to establish a dictatorship. It was due on Wednesday, the day of the two-year anniversary of the coup. According to the Constitution of Myanmar, new elections must be held within six months after the expiration of the state of emergency. It was therefore expected that the first elections since the coup could be held next August, but the decision to extend the state of emergency has made this possibility highly unlikely.
