Myanmar’s president Min Aung Hlaing announced emergency measures Friday placing 60 districts under direct military authority for 90 days, escalating government control in regions where armed conflict continues following the nation’s transition from junta rule.
The emergency declarations affect districts spanning Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Shan and Rakhine States, along with portions of Saging, Magway and Mandalay regions. These same areas have faced military restrictions and nighttime curfews since the armed forces seized power in 2021.
State media reported the government justified the 90-day emergency period as necessary to “end armed terrorism” and restore “the rule of law” in the affected territories.
Under the new orders, Myanmar’s military commander Ye Win Oo will assume complete executive and judicial control over the designated areas, according to an announcement in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar publication.
The emergency measures represent Min Aung Hlaing’s most significant effort to strengthen authority over battle-scarred regions since taking the presidency in early April, following controversial elections that brought a military-aligned party to power.
The Southeast Asian nation descended into widespread violence after military forces removed the democratically elected administration of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, triggering mass demonstrations that evolved into organized armed opposition to military rule.
After seizing control in 2021, Min Aung Hlaing’s military government declared nationwide emergency rule, repeatedly extending it until organizing December and January elections that international observers condemned as illegitimate.
