Myanmar's military junta extended its state of emergency in 63 townships for an additional 90 days, as announced by Irrawaddy News during the reporting window from 5:45 PM to 6:45 PM UTC on January 30, 2026. The measure, first imposed in July on townships completely or partially controlled by resistance groups and ethnic armies, aims to maintain control amid ongoing conflict. The National Unity Government (NUG) reiterated its zero-tolerance policy on narcotics in a statement from Union Minister Dr. Zaw Wai Soe, shared via NUG's official account around 6:28 PM UTC. He affirmed the revolutionary leadership's commitment to avoiding drug trade financing, regardless of financial challenges, during a ceremony destroying US$4.67 million worth of seized narcotics from vehicles in NUG-administered areas. NUG and ethnic groups are discussing formation of a federal council to unite Myanmar's revolutionary leadership by 2026, according to a BNI Online report cited on X during the window. This body is described as vital for the resistance's future coordination. The Arakan Army intensified maritime patrols along the Rakhine coast near the Bangladesh border to counter Muslim armed groups like ARSA and ensure community safety, as reported by BNI Online. Separately, prominent pro-junta monk Sitagu Sayadaw dismissed International Court of Justice accusations that his sermon likening non-Buddhists to animals legitimized Rohingya genocide, per Irrawaddy News. Broader context includes 2,578 Myanmar military, police, and militia members becoming POWs, defecting, or surrendering in 2025, many new recruits, according to BNI Online statistics. A Chin resistance ambush on a junta reinforcement column near Falam on January 26 inflicted significant casualties, as previously reported by the same source.
