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| Gen Min Aung Hlaing's speech defended his coup and railed against his opponents. (Photo by= Reuters) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] The general who took power in a coup in Myanmar in February has named himself prime minister and said emergency rule may now extend to August 2023. BBC reported that during an hour-long speech, Min Aung Hlaing pledged to hold a "free and fair multi-party election" but also called the elected party he removed "terrorists".
In the general's televised speech he accused those opposing the coup of deliberately spreading Covid-19. Gen Min Aung Hlaing insisted the country was stable, adding: "I pledge to hold multi-party elections without fail." He spoke of "fake news and misinformation via social networks" about his government's Covid policies, calling it a "tool of bioterrorism". The general said Covid would be contained through more vaccines, extended public holidays, and what he called the harmonious cooperation of the people.
Hundreds have died in continuing protests against the military coup. Many protesters were in the healthcare system, which has collapsed amid a massive surge in Covid-19 infections. Myanmar has so far reported 300,000 cases and 9,300 deaths, although the limited testing available suggests those numbers are vast underestimates. Meanwhile, Burmese human rights activist Aung Kyaw Moe told the BBC the general's pledge of an election was "a lie and it's not going to be happening... the people of Myanmar wouldn't trust such kind of promises".
