Myanmar Junta Extends Fourth Emergency Status Since Coup

Archives - Empty table of Myanmar's head of state at the opening of the 42nd ASEAN Summit, in Labuan Bajo/DOK BETWEEN

JAKARTA - The junta's military in Myanmar has extended its emergency status for the fourth time since they launched a coup in 2021, Monday, July 31. Myanmar's National Security and Defense Council announced that the emergency status ending on July 31 was extended for the next six months, the Myanmar Now website reported. Myanmar's last junta extended its state of emergency in February this year. The security council also discussed the postponed elections in the mostly Buddhist Southeast Asian country. The Myanmar military, known in local language as Tatmadaw, launched a military coup on February 1, 2021, removing the National League for Democracy government and throwing its leaders into prison, including Aung San Suu Kyi. According to the United Nations, more than 1.5 million people have fled in the last two years, with more than 5 million children in Myanmar in dire need of humanitarian assistance. At least 2,890 people died at the hands of the military and the people they worked with and as many as 767 people were initially detained since the military seized power, according to UN data. Meanwhile, on Monday a bomb exploded in southeastern Karen State and killed one person and injured 12 others. A car explosion also occurred near the Thanlwin Bridge checkpoint at around 6:50 am local time, as reported by The Irrawaddy news site.