Myanmar: The military regime in Myanmar will allow civilians deemed “loyal to the state” to apply for licences to carry weapons.
According to reports, the military generals, who seized power from the elected government in 2021, planned to allow citizens over the age of 18 to be licensed to carry several types of guns and ammunition.
Public servants and retired military personnel would also be among those allowed to keep weapons.
A 15-page document about the new gun policy attributed to the Ministry of Home Affairs and published by pro-military and independent news outlets stated that the policy had been issued on January 31 after being approved in December 2022 at a Cabinet meeting.
According to the document, recipients of gun permits must be loyal to the nation, of good moral character, and not involved in disturbing state security. Permit holders must also comply when ordered by local authorities to take part in “security, law enforcement, and stability” as well as “crime prevention measures,” according to the document.
The military seized power from the elected government of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, triggering widespread peaceful protests that turned into armed resistance after security forces used lethal force to suppress all opposition.
The coup plunged Myanmar into a crisis that some United Nations experts have characterised as a civil war. Armed resistance groups have appeared in many parts of the country, sometimes training and fighting with ethnic armed organisations that have been fighting the military for decades, while shadowy pro-military militias have also emerged.
