On 24 April 2026, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief, General Ye Win Oo, declared a state of emergency and imposed martial law across 60 townships spanning nine states and regions. The targeted areas include Kachin, Karenni, Karen, Chin, Arakan, and Shan States, alongside the Sagaing, Magway, and Mandalay Regions. This directive completely strips away any remaining civilian administrative and judicial structures, transferring absolute governing and legal authority directly to the respective Regional Military Commands (RMCs).
Crucially, the martial law framework mandates the establishment of military tribunals to summarily try a wide array of offenses, including treason, incitement, terrorism, murder, robbery, corruption, and drug-related crimes. These military courts are authorized to hand down severe punishments, including life imprisonment and the death penalty, for what the regime deems “serious cases.” The ordinances explicitly prohibit defendants from accessing any form of legal appeal or sentence revision. This marks the first major executive action taken by Min Aung Hlaing since ascending to the sham presidency following the junta’s sham parliamentary transition, solidifying direct, unaccountable military control over conflict-ravaged territories.