Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing said in a speech broadcast on state media that Myanmar is attempting to overcome the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic by confronting internal violence.
“The implementation of the ASEAN Consensus was therefore difficult due to the lack of stability,” Min Aung Hlaing said, adding that progress could only be achieved when the situation was “normal.”
ASEAN envoy appeals to Myanmar junta to spare Suu Kyi from prison
ASEAN envoy appeals to Myanmar junta to spare Suu Kyi from prison
Western governments have condemned the coup and the detention on various charges of Nobel laureate Suu Kyi and various members of her party and supporters.
Some members of Asean, of which Myanmar is a member and which has a convention of not interfering in its internal affairs, also criticized the generals.
Although the junta didn’t implement the ASEAN plan, it never rejected it.
“Our country is an ASEAN country, so we value the ASEAN conventions,” said Min Aung Hlaing.
I believe you will notice progress inside six months
Although Min Aung Hlaing made no mention of extending the state of emergency in his speech, state media reported that the military government’s defense and security council unanimously approved his request to increase it for one more six months.
The junta said it needed to take power last yr due to vote rigging within the November 2020 general election, which Suu Kyi’s party won easily. Election monitoring groups found no evidence of mass fraud.
The military has pledged to carry recent elections in August 2023, although the schedule has already been pushed back and opponents don’t imagine they shall be free and fair.
Security forces have killed greater than 2,100 people for the reason that coup, in accordance with the activist group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The junta said such fees were excessive.
The true picture of violence has turn into harder to evaluate for the reason that evenly armed People’s Defense Forces have broken out to confront the military, often in additional distant areas where ethnic minority insurgents are also fighting the military.
In his speech, Min Aung Hlaing blamed “terrorists” for causing the deaths. The military has described its armed opponents and the rival shadow Government of National Accord, formed by pro-democracy politicians, as “terrorists.”
The junta has faced sanctions from many Western countries and faced further condemnation last week after the execution of 4 pro-democracy activists whom it accused of “acts of terror”.
Min Aung Hlaing also touched on the economy, which has collapsed for the reason that pandemic and the coup ended a decade of reforms.
More deaths feared as Myanmar junta executions send ‘merciless’ signal
More deaths feared as Myanmar junta executions send ‘merciless’ signal
“I think you will see progress within six months,” he said, citing the prospect of more jobs and a concentrate on agriculture.
The World Bank forecast Myanmar’s economy will grow 3 percent this financial yr after an 18 percent contraction last yr and warned that a return to pre-pandemic levels is unlikely within the near term.
Acting President Myint Swe approved Military Chief Min Aung Hlaing’s request for an emergency extension at a gathering of the National Defense and Security Council within the capital Naypyidaw, during which the regime’s activities over the past 18 months and the present political situation were discussed.
“Necessary arrangements are needed for relevant organizations, including the Union Election Commission. Political parties also needs to make changes appropriate to the brand new electoral system, and the general public also must be widely educated on this issue, so we want more time to arrange,” Min Aung Hlaing said on state broadcaster MRTV.
Additional reporting by Tribune News Service
