Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Myanmar declares military rule over Kokang region

On February 17,  Myanmar President Thein Sein granted the military unprecedented power to manage tension between government troops and ethnic Kokang rebels in the Kokang Self-Administered Zone in northeast Myanmar. President Thein Sein declared a 90-day state of emergency and imposed a military administration over the region.  A separate announcement declared that Myanmar's army chief was in full control of "rule of law and stability" in Kokang. The military administration gives the army executive and judicial powers, including the "right to summarily try suspects in a military court and potentially hand down the death penalty for a range of Penal Code offences, including high treason, libel against the government, murder, manslaughter, rape, mugging, robbery, [and] corruption."

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comments are subject to moderation and must be submitted under your real name. Anonymous comments will not be posted (even though the form seems to permit them).