Myanmar military lifts state of emergencyーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS
The move could pave the way for a return to civilian rule, but whether an election will actually take place is far from clear given the intense distrust of the opposition groups. The announcement came on Thursday after a meeting of the National Defense and Security Council. Military leader Minlang has repeatedly said a general election will take place in December. elections could not take place under the state of emergency declared after the military seized power in 2021. Since then, there has been determined resistance from pro-democracy forces and ethnic minority groups. The opposition says any vote by the Huta, led by the Huta, would not be legitimate. We’re joined now by NHK World’s Yamaka Mishitaka, who’s been covering the story. Mishitaka, why was the state of emergency lifted just now? Even as the fighting continues, Mang Fry has been saying repeatedly that the December general election is needed for a transition to civilian rule. My constitution stipulates that an election must be held within six months of the state of emergency being lifted. For this reason, local media had been reporting since Wednesday that the state of emergency could be lifted at this time. In addition, Mian Fry visited Moscow in March and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In May, he met with Chinese President Xuin Ping, reportedly securing their support for an election. Since the coup, Myamar has been under economic sanctions by Western countries and isolated by the international community. Leon Fry appears to have concluded that with the backing of China and Russia, he can get through an election in December. Now, what kind of election can we expect given the bitter fighting that’s been ongoing in the country? The military has been preparing for the election, including conducting a census last October to finalize border list, all as fierce fighting continues. We spoke to a senior official with a pro-democracy side earlier today. He expressed strong concerns that the voting would be manipulated under military supervision. He said the election would not reflect the will of the people and would have no legitimacy. He was clear that the pro-democracy side would call for a boycott. The fighting is showing no signs of letting up. So it is not even clear whether general election can go ahead as scheduled. Thank you Mishaka. The United States and Pakistan have announced they’ve signed a trade agreement in negotiations over tariffs. Details have not been disclosed but they say the US will lower tariffs and deepen cooperation in the field of energy. US President Donald Trump posted on social media on Wednesday that the two countries will have concluded a deal to work together to develop Pakistan’s oil reserves. He says they’re in the process of choosing an oil company to lead the partnership. Pakistan’s finance ministry released a statement on Thursday. It says the agreement includes boosting bilateral trade, expanding market access, and cooperating on energy development. The statement says the agreement will result in lower tariffs, especially on Pakistani exports to the United States, but the specific levels have not been disclosed. Trump announced a 29% tariff on Pakistani imports in April. The Pakistani government sent a delegation to Washington to negotiate. Prime Minister Shabbas Sharif issued a statement on Thursday saying the landmark deal will enhance the growing cooperation between the two countries. And that wraps up our bulletin. I’m Rossland Dovalia in Bangkok.
July 31 NEWSROOM TOKYO Bangkok Live Lineup:
00:00 Myanmar military lifts state of emergency
00:43 Analysis: Myanmar military lifts state of emergency
02:43 Pakistan, US reach trade deal with US over tariffs
#asia #bangkok #asiapacific #politics #myanmar #pakistan #trade #usa #donaldtrump #trumptariffs
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