Myanmar imposes martial law in major cities
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YANGON • Myanmar's junta leader yesterday said an election would be held and power handed to the winning party, even as martial law was imposed in cities after thousands protested nationwide against the military seizing power.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, in his first national address since the Feb 1 coup, said the junta was different to previous military governments.
Suitable ministers were selected, he said, adding foreign policy would remain unchanged and countries would be encouraged to invest in Myanmar.
He reiterated that there were irregularities in last year's election that were ignored and said no organisation was above the law.
He made no mention of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi who, along with dozens of other members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, was detained on Feb 1. The NLD had won by a landslide in last November's election.
Martial law was declared yesterday evening in the country's biggest cities including Yangon and Mandalay.
People are banned from protesting or gathering in groups of more than five, and a curfew will run from 8pm until 4am, the General Administration Department said in a statement.
The numbers joining protests and civil disobedience campaigns have swelled to the tens of thousands, prompting riot police to fire water cannon yesterday to disperse the crowds gathered in the capital Naypyitaw.
In Yangon, textile workers, civil servants and railway employees heeded calls for a strike and stopped work to join rallies in the commercial capital. Protesters began to disperse in the early evening.
