Myanmar’s military government has imposed martial law in three more townships in the country’s northwest, state-run media reported Thursday.
The expansion in the Sagaing region follows the declaration of martial law in 37 of Myanmar’s 330 townships on Feb. 2. The latest move brings the total to 47, including the seven townships — among them part of Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city — where it was imposed shortly after the military takeover in 2021.
The scope will be broadened further if necessary, a senior military official said by phone Thursday.
Under martial law, executive and judicial authority is transferred to the regional military commander, and certain security-related offenses are tried behind closed doors in military tribunals.
The government announced Feb. 1 that it would extend the nationwide state of emergency by another six months, further pushing back the possible time frame for general elections.
Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said in a Jan. 31 meeting of the National Defense and Security Council that only 198 townships could be considered “100% peaceful” and that security needed to be strengthened in other regions.
Pro-democracy rebels in Myanmar have formed armed groups collectively known as the People’s Defense Force. These conduct ambushes on government forces and use drones for bombing attacks on their bases. The military has ramped up its campaign to quash the PDF, torching numerous villages suspected of collaborating with the groups.
