TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The military junta in Myanmar officially ended the state of emergency on Thursday, July 31, 2025, concluding more than four years of military rule under emergency powers.
The move comes as part of preparations for a general election expected within the next few months, despite the country still being engulfed in a civil war.
Since seizing power on February 1, 2021, by toppling the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the junta had continuously extended the emergency rule, citing the ongoing conflict with pro-democracy fighters and armed ethnic minority groups.
The state of emergency had granted junta chief Min Aung Hlaing sweeping control over Myanmar’s legislative, executive, and judicial branches. However, he recently characterized the upcoming election as a potential solution to the conflict.
"The state of emergency is abolished today in order for the country to hold elections on the path to a multi-party democracy," said military spokesman Zaw Min Tun in an audio message sent to journalists, according to CNA. "Elections will be held within six months."
The decision followed a meeting of the National Defense and Security Council—the country’s highest decision-making authority, which includes Min Aung Hlaing himself.
Opposition parties, including lawmakers ousted in the 2021 coup, have vowed to boycott the election. In June, a UN expert dismissed the planned vote as a "fraud" meant to legitimize continued military rule.
The junta has barred Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), which overwhelmingly won the 2020 election, from participating. The party was officially dissolved in 2023 by an election commission controlled by the military.
Observers believe Min Aung Hlaing will likely retain power after the election, either by remaining president or staying on as military chief, thus cementing his leadership role.
In a series of orders, the junta announced the creation of a new "Union Government" and a "National Security and Peace Commission," both tasked with overseeing defense and the electoral process. Min Aung Hlaing will lead both bodies and continue serving as acting president, as confirmed in a decree bearing his own signature.
"We have already passed the first chapter," Min Aung Hlaing declared in a speech in Naypyidaw, according to the government-run newspaper The Global New Light of Myanmar on Thursday.
"Now, we are starting the second chapter," he added during what the paper described as an "honorary ceremony" for members of the junta government.
"The upcoming election will be held this December, and efforts will be made to enable all eligible voters to cast their ballots," the paper quoted him as saying.
No Specific Election Date Yet
Despite pledging to hold elections in December, the junta has yet to announce an exact date. Political party registration is underway, and officials have conducted training for electronic voting machines.
The military government also passed a new law on Wednesday threatening up to 10 years in prison for those who deliver speeches or stage protests aimed at "destroying a part of the electoral process."
A census conducted last year in preparation for the election revealed major gaps. Preliminary figures show that the government failed to collect data from 19 million out of the country’s 51 million people—due, in part, to "significant security constraints."
The data shortfall underscores the limited ability of the junta to administer a nationwide vote amid the civil conflict.
Analysts expect resistance groups to escalate attacks during the election period to demonstrate their rejection of the process. In response, the military has begun offering financial incentives to encourage armed opponents to surrender and “return to the legal fold” ahead of the vote.
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