Latest news with #militarygovernment
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Myanmar's military leader makes rare appearance at event honouring Aung San Suu Kyi's father
The head of Myanmar's military government made a rare appearance at a ceremony on Saturday honouring General Aung San, an independence hero and father of jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi. It was the first time that 69-year-old Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attended the Martyrs' Day wreath-laying since the army ousted Suu Kyi and seized power in February 2021. The leader's appearance comes as his embattled government is preparing to hold elections while fighting armed opposition groups across the country. Martyrs' Day was an important event in Myanmar's calendar for decades, but the military has downplayed the holiday in recent years. It commemorates the assassination of Aung San, a former prime minister who was gunned down at the age of 32 along with six cabinet colleagues and two other officials in 1947, just months before the country – then called Burma – achieved freedom from British colonial rule. A political rival, former prime minister U Saw, was tried and hanged for plotting the attack. Myanmar's national flag flutters at half-mast outside the City Hall in Yangon on Saturday on the 78th Martyrs' Day. Photo: AFP Suu Kyi was absent from the ceremony for a fifth year Suu Kyi, who was detained when the army took over in 2021, was absent from the event for a fifth consecutive year. She is currently serving a 27-year prison term on what are widely regarded as contrived charges meant to keep her from political activity. She has not been seen in public since her arrest. Ye Aung Than, a son of Suu Kyi's estranged older brother, laid a wreath in front of his grandfather's tomb during the main ceremony at the Martyrs' Mausoleum near the foot of the towering Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. With Myanmar national flags flying at half-staff, members of the ruling military council, and cabinet, as well as high-ranking military generals, joined Min Aung Hlaing in placing a basket of flowers in front of the tombs of the nine martyrs. As the ceremony was held, people in Yangon paid tribute to independence leaders by blaring car horns and sirens at 10.37am, the time of the 1947 attack.
Al Arabiya
5 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Myanmar's leader puts in rare appearance at event honoring Aung San Suu kyi's father
The head of Myanmar's military government made a rare appearance at a ceremony on Saturday honoring General Aung San, an independence hero and father of jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi. It was the first time that 69-year-old Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing attended the Martyrs Day wreath-laying since the army ousted Suu Kyi and seized power in February 2021. The leader's appearance comes as his embattled government is preparing to hold elections while fighting armed opposition groups across the country. Martyrs Day was an important event in Myanmar's calendar for decades, but the military has downplayed the holiday in recent years. It commemorates the assassination of Aung San, a former Prime Minister who was gunned down at the age of 32 along with six Cabinet colleagues and two other officials in 1947, just months before the country – then called Burma – achieved freedom from British colonial rule. A political rival, former Prime Minister U Saw, was tried and hanged for plotting the attack. Suu Kyi was absent from the ceremony for a fifth year. Suu Kyi, who was detained when the army took over in 2021, was absent from the event for a fifth consecutive year. She is currently serving a 27-year prison term on what are widely regarded as contrived charges meant to keep her from political activity. She has not been seen in public since her arrest. Ye Aung Than, a son of Suu Kyi's estranged older brother, laid a wreath in front of his grandfather's tomb during the main ceremony at the Martyrs Mausoleum near the foot of the towering Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. With Myanmar national flags flying at half-staff, members of the ruling military council and cabinet, as well as high-ranking military generals, joined Min Aung Hlaing in placing a basket of flowers in front of the tombs of the nine martyrs. As the ceremony was held, people in Yangon paid tribute to independence leaders by blaring car horns and sirens at 10:37 a.m., the time of the 1947 attack. Democracy supporters also held scattered rallies in parts of the country that are not under military control. The military government is planning elections later this year. The event comes five months before elections that the military has promised to hold by the end of this year. The poll is widely seen as an attempt to legitimize the military's seizure of power through the ballot box and is expected to deliver a result that ensures the generals retain control. The 2021 military takeover was met with widespread nonviolent protests, but after peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict. Since the army took power, 6,974 people, including poets, activists, politicians, and others, have been killed, and 29,405 people have been arrested by the security forces, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent organization that keeps detailed tallies of arrests and casualties linked to the nation's political conflicts. The military government calls that figure an exaggeration. The military, which is now estimated to control less than half the country, has been accelerating its counter-offensives to retake areas controlled by opposition groups ahead of the election.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Myanmar's military leader puts in rare appearance at event honoring Aung San Suu Kyi's father
The head of Myanmar's military government made a rare appearance at a ceremony on Saturday honoring General Aung San, an independence hero and father of jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi. It was the first time that 69-year-old Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing attended the Martyrs' Day wreath-laying since the army ousted Suu Kyi and seized power in February 2021. The leader's appearance comes as his embattled government is preparing to hold elections while fighting armed opposition groups across the country. Martyrs' Day was an important event in Myanmar's calendar for decades, but the military has downplayed the holiday in recent years. It commemorates the assassination of Aung San, a former Prime Minister who was gunned down at the age of 32 along with six Cabinet colleagues and two other officials in 1947, just months before the country — then called Burma — achieved freedom from British colonial rule. A political rival, former Prime Minister U Saw, was tried and hanged for plotting the attack. Suu Kyi was absent from the ceremony for a fifth year Suu Kyi, who was detained when the army took over in 2021, was absent from the event for a fifth consecutive year. She is currently serving a 27-year prison term on what are widely regarded as contrived charges meant to keep her from political activity. She has not been seen in public since her arrest. Ye Aung Than, a son of Suu Kyi's estranged older brother, laid a wreath in front of his grandfather's tomb during the main ceremony at the Martyrs' Mausoleum near the foot of the towering Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. With Myanmar national flags flying at half-staff, members of the ruling military council, and cabinet, as well as high-ranking military generals joined Min Aung Hlaing in placing a basket of flowers in front of the tombs of the nine martyrs. As the ceremony was held, people in Yangon paid tribute to independence leaders by blaring car horns and sirens at 10:37 a.m., the time of the 1947 attack. Democracy supporters also held scattered rallies in parts of the country that are not under military control. The military government is planning elections later this year The event comes five months before elections that the military has promised to hold by the end of this year. The poll is widely seen as an attempt to legitimize the military's seizure of power through the ballot box and is expected to deliver a result that ensures the generals retain control. The 2021 military takeover was met with widespread nonviolent protests, but after peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict. Since the army took power, 6,974 people including poets, activists, politicians and others have been killed, and 29,405 people have been arrested by the security forces, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent organization that keeps detailed tallies of arrests and casualties linked to the nation's political conflicts. The military government calls that figure an exaggeration. The military, which is now estimated to control less than half the country, has been accelerating its counter-offensives to retake areas controlled by opposition groups ahead of the election.
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Myanmar's military leader puts in rare appearance at event honoring Aung San Suu Kyi's father
BANGKOK — The head of Myanmar's military government made a rare appearance at a ceremony on Saturday honoring General Aung San, an independence hero and father of jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi . It was the first time that 69-year-old Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing attended the Martyrs' Day wreath-laying since the army ousted Suu Kyi and seized power in February 2021. The leader's appearance comes as his embattled government is preparing to hold elections while fighting armed opposition groups across the country.
France 24
10-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Mali junta chief Assimi Goïta grants his own unlimited presidential mandate
Mali 's junta chief has granted himself a five-year presidential mandate, renewable "as many times as necessary" and without election, in a law made public Thursday. General Assimi Goïta 's approval of the measure had been widely expected for several days, and comes after the country's military-appointed legislative body passed the bill last week. The law, which was leaked to the public after being signed by Goita Tuesday, allows him to lead the west African country until at least 2030, despite the military government's initial pledge to return to civilian rule in March 2024. It is the latest in a series of restrictions on freedoms by Mali's military leadership to consolidate its power in the jihadist-hit Sahelian nation. The country's cabinet, the Council of Ministers, had already adopted the measure last month. Under the law Goita will be able to serve "as head of state for a term of five (05) years, renewable as many times as necessary, until the country is pacified". When Goïta took power, he insisted on Mali's commitment to the fight against jihadist violence and initially pledged a return to civilian rule. He was even celebrated in some quarters as a hero who might bring salvation to his troubled west African nation. But he ultimately failed to make good on his promise to cede power to elected civilians, which was to occur by March 2024. Earlier this year, a junta-led national consultation recommended proclaiming Goïta president without a vote for the five-year renewable term. The same assembly – boycotted by most political groups – also recommended the dissolution of political parties and tougher rules for their creation. Subsequently, the junta announced in May the dissolution of all political parties and organisations, as well as a ban on meetings. The ongoing squeeze on Mali's civic space comes against a backdrop of clamour by authorities for the country to unite behind the military. Turning point Goïta's rule has marked a turning point in Mali's relationship with the West. The country has broken ties with France and other former allies and pivoted toward Russia. Mali and its junta-led neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger have teamed up to create their own confederation, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), and have announced the creation of a joint 5,000-strong force for joint military operations. Meanwhile its Russian mercenary allies from the Africa Corps, tasked in particular with tracking down jihadists, are regularly accused of rights violations against civilians alongside the Malian army. Since 2012, Mali has been mired in violence carried out by jihadist groups affiliated with al Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as other criminal organisations. Those attacks have only intensified in recent weeks.
