General Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmar's military junta, has taken over as the country's interim president following the medical leave of figurehead leader Myint Swe. The government broadcaster MRTV announced that the Interim President's Office has officially notified the State Administration Council to delegate responsibilities to Hlaing, who chairs the junta council governing Myanmar.
Myint Swe, aged 73, has reportedly been suffering from psychomotor retardation and malnutrition since early 2023, as per the state-owned Global New Light of Myanmar. Due to his inability to perform daily activities, including eating, Swe is receiving close medical attention under the State Administration Council's arrangement.
Myint Swe was appointed as the acting president after the military coup in February 2021, which led to the detention of civilian leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and the installation of military loyalists in power. The junta initially pledged to hold elections within two years post the coup, a deadline that has been extended multiple times. The current state of emergency and military rule is set to expire this month.
Since the coup, Myanmar's military has been engaged in a civil war against various local militias and pro-democracy groups, resulting in significant losses of junta-controlled territory and troops. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, highlighted a fivefold increase in deadly aerial attacks by the junta against civilian targets in the past six months, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis and aiming to intimidate civilians into halting resistance.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, approximately 18.6 million people in Myanmar urgently require humanitarian assistance. The escalating conflict in the country has led to growing humanitarian needs, increased displacement, heightened food insecurity, severe human rights violations, and life-threatening risks to civilians. The UN's Myanmar response plan for 2024 warns of inadequate funding for humanitarian efforts, stressing that without immediate financial support, aid agencies may be forced to make critical decisions that could endanger the lives of millions in dire need.
