Burmese military junta changes name, but repression continues

General Min Aung Hlaing has launched the “National Security and Peace Commission” and at the same time imposed martial law in dozens of municipalities, adding to threats of the death penalty for those who boycott the upcoming elections. Citizens have received messages calling for armed surrender and participation in the polls.

Yangon (AsiaNews) - Myanmar's military junta has announced that it will operate under a new name: the “National Security and Peace Commission” (NSPC), a move criticized as an attempt to mask authoritarianism. The change comes after the state of emergency was lifted on July 31, but was immediately followed by the imposition of martial law in 63 municipalities.

The head of the coup junta, General Min Aung Hlaing, retains full control of the government through the presidency of the NSPC but has appointed one of his loyalists, U Nyo Saw, as the new prime minister. Observers point out that the NSPC is composed of the same military figures responsible for the 2021 coup and the subsequent violent crackdown.

Half of the 10 members of the new Commission come from the State Administrative Council (SAC), the name the military gave itself after the coup in an attempt to gain credibility.

This reshuffle has been condemned as a ‘sham reform’ designed to buy time ahead of the elections scheduled for December 2025, which will be neither free nor fair but, according to Min Aung Hlaing, part of the ‘second phase’ of his government.

The general has also been criticized for initially omitting the Ministry of Education, which was then assigned (without portfolio) to Chaw Chaw Sein, vice-chancellor of Yangon Foreign Language University and former director-general of the ministry's Research and Evaluation Department.

The rebranding also comes at a time when the army continues to face armed resistance on several fronts. Fierce clashes with the People's Defense Forces (PDF) and armed ethnic groups have intensified in Sagaing, Chin, Rakhine, Shan, Kachin, and Kayah states.

Just hours after the state of emergency ended, Min Aung Hlaing's regime declared new martial law zones, where residents reported increased security crackdowns, mass arrests, violence, and forced recruitment. New penalties, including the death penalty, have been introduced for those who oppose the electoral process.

On July 30, the Burmese junta also sent text messages to all citizens, calling on resistance fighters to surrender and participate in the elections.

The message, which was sent to customers of Atom and Ooredoo, two of Myanmar's main mobile phone operators, also contained a link to an announcement by the Ministry of Information. The communication denounced the National Unity Government (NUG), composed of former MPs in exile, for inciting armed rebellion.

The United Nations, through its Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, expressed concern about the continued militarization of the government and the suppression of civil liberties: “Changing the name of the governing body while maintaining martial law and human rights violations will not restore trust or legitimacy,” the rapporteur said.

ASEAN members and Western governments have also reiterated their call for an inclusive political dialogue and the immediate release of political prisoners.

• Myanmar
• giunta
• elezioni
• repressione