Myanmar junta extends emergency as coup anniversary marked by 'silent protest'

Filipino activists stage a protest in solidarity with Myanmar citizens, two years since Myanmar's military coup, outside the Embassy of Myanmar in Makati City, Philippines, February 1, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

(Reuters) -Myanmar's junta extended the country's state of emergency by another six months, the acting president said at a leadership meeting broadcast on state TV on Wednesday, as protesters marked the anniversary of a 2021 military coup with a "silent protest".

Junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing, in a meeting on Tuesday with the army-backed National Defence and Security Council (NDSC), also said multi-party elections must be held "as the people desire".