SAC Formally Publishes Martial Law Over 60 Townships in Official Gazette — Military Tribunals Activated; Three Media Outlets' Licenses Revoked

Myanmar's military junta under President Min Aung Hlaing formally published Martial Law Ordinance No. 2/2026 in its official gazette on April 30, 2026, activating 90-day martial law across 60 townships in seven states and regions: Kachin State (5 townships), Rakhine State (14 townships), Shan State (15 townships), Chin State (7 townships), Sagaing Region (8 townships), Magway Region (5 townships), plus additional townships in Kayah/Karenni State, Kayin/Karen State, and Mandalay Region. The ordinance empowers military tribunals to replace civilian courts for 20+ offense categories — ranging from treason and sedition to unauthorized assembly — all subject to death penalty or life imprisonment. Three townships previously under martial law — Htigyaing, Mogok, and Singu — were removed from the list following recent SAC military recapture, demonstrating the dynamic geographic application of the measure as military fortunes shift. Simultaneous with the formal gazette publication, the junta revoked the operating licenses of three media outlets on April 30, 2026, prohibiting publication or broadcast on any platform — the latest escalation in the SAC's systematic suppression of independent journalism. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) documented the revocations as part of a pattern in which the SAC has shuttered dozens of independent news organizations since the February 2021 coup. The formal gazette publication legally activates the ordinance, enabling military commanders in all 60 designated townships to order arbitrary detention, conduct military trials, and impose summary punishments without civilian judicial review. MNDAA previously warned civilians in Kokang (Shan State) to exercise 'extreme caution in all aspects of their daily lives' following the martial law expansion. The IMNA/Mon News Agency confirmed the formal publication on April 30.