Myanmar: Junta ends state of emergency ahead of December elections

Myanmar’s military has lifted the state of emergency after more than four years, paving the way for elections it plans to hold in December.

Transcript

00:00Myanmar's military leadership has lifted a state of emergency more than four years after seizing power in a coup.

00:07The move announced after a National Defence Council meeting clears the way for elections the Junta says will be held in December.

00:17The Junta has also formed an 11-member commission led by Military Chief Min An Leung to organize the vote.

00:24No date was announced, but state media says Min An Leung will remain in charge as interim president until the election.

00:31The vote would be Myanmar's first since the 2021 coup that triggered a civil war and widespread unrest.

00:37Western governments have rejected the Junta-led election as illegitimate,

00:41with opposition groups boycotting the vote and international monitors voicing criticism.

00:46Earlier this week, the Junta introduced a law to protect the election,

00:50with penalties including death for those who disrupt the process.

00:54All rise!