Myanmar’s future at crossroads as junta considers ending state of emergency

Myanmar’s military leader has announced that the country is entering a “second chapter,” hinting at a possible change ahead of a critical decision on whether to lift the state of emergency. This move, expected on July 31 by the junta’s National Defence and Security Council, is a crucial step toward holding elections more than four years after the military coup.

According to Myanmar’s 2008 Constitution, the state of emergency must be lifted before elections can proceed. The junta had previously promised to hold elections by December, making this decision all the more significant amid ongoing civil conflict that continues to destabilise the nation.

At a ceremony in the capital, Naypyidaw, on July 30, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing expressed cautious optimism:

“If at the start of this second chapter we write it well, beautifully, and sincerely with our own hands and carry it out successfully, I believe we will overcome even more challenges,” the government reported.

However, Western countries, including the United States, have rejected any elections organised by the junta as illegitimate. If the state of emergency is lifted, the National Defence and Security Council will assume transitional authority and is expected to establish an interim government to oversee the upcoming vote, with Min Aung Hlaing potentially appointed to head this body.

Earlier this week, the military introduced a law aimed at protecting the electoral process from “sabotage,” with severe penalties including the death sentence for those found guilty of disrupting elections, underscoring the junta’s firm control over the political transition.\

By Tamilla Hasanova