AlQa'dah 03, 1436, August 18, 2015, SPA -- Myanmar's parliament voted on Tuesday to again extend martial law for three months in a restive area along the country's border with China, where there have been clashes between the military and an armed ethnic group since February, Reuters reported. Cross-border incidents in the fighting have strained ties between the neighbours. On Tuesday, a majority of parliament members backed the motion to continue martial law in the Kokang region of Shan state. Martial law gives the military sweeping judicial and administrative powers. The measure was needed because of continued instability in the region, said Shwe Mann, the speaker of parliament. President Thein Sein declared a three-month state of emergency and imposed martial law in the region on Feb. 17 after fighting broke out between the Myanmar military and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).
