When it comes to martial law, what you can or can’t do depends on the severity of the type of martial law imposed on a city, state, or country.
For example, a couple of years ago, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte imposed martial law on his country.
Life went on as if martial law never existed.
People did their normal daily activities as the law was very restricted at this time.
This will not always be the case, and you may find that, if politically motivated, martial law can mean the arrest and disappearance of many friends, relatives, or well-known people.
In the end, your actions will depend on the situation that caused martial law to be invoked, what the new rules are, and how strictly those rules will be enforced.
But you do need to be prepared for any level of martial law.
What should we do if martial law is declared?
Be somewhere else
Most people tend to have problems because they are exactly where the problems are taking place.
If at all possible, try to remain in some other area that is problem-free.
This relocation will keep you safe from false arrest, harm, and other issues that arise from the implementation of martial law.
Know the rules
One way to get into trouble during times of martial law is to disobey the rules.
Those rules may be unfair, but if you have a family to protect, then you better learn what the rules are and follow them.
Here are some examples of the types of rules that can be implemented.
Curfew
make sure you are in your home during those curfew hours.
Carry identification papers
You never know when you will be asked to identify yourself.
Failure to provide these papers can cause you a lot of problems.
Stay within your allowed travel area
Wide-range movement may be restricted during these times.
To stay out of trouble, make sure to travel only in your approved travel zone.
Resource rationing
Food, water, gas, and other staples may be severely restricted at these times.
Make sure to abide by the allotments you are approved to have.
Activities are restricted
Political activism, as well as other activities, are not recommended at this time.
Make sure your activities do not break any new laws implemented by martial law rules.
Dump the contraband
What was once legal may be considered illegal during martial law.
Get rid of any contraband as soon as possible to avoid getting caught.
Don’t pick a lot of fights
Tempers flare and people, especially government and military officials, have little patience or tolerance for certain opposition activities.
Make sure you understand when to pick your battles in order to avoid getting into trouble at the wrong time.
Blend in
This is also called “practice gray man” techniques.
Those techniques include, but are not limited to:
Keep quiet
Keep the generators off, don’t play loud music, and also avoid putting supplies in public view, including opening curtains so people can see inside your home.
Also, do not cook aromatic meals.
Don’t dress for attention
Make sure your clothing is bland and helps you be anonymous.
Don’t wear jewelry
One way to get the wrong type of attention is to wear sparkling or other precious jewelry.
Hide any items you are carrying so those who want them won’t see them.
Don’t be so hygienic
If everyone else is dirty, then get dirty and do not wear perfume or use other hygienic products with a fragrance.
All of this adds up to avoiding drawing attention to yourself.
Do what you can to remain invisible until the trouble has passed and martial law has been lifted.
You want to maintain a low profile so you remain safe and do not become a target.
Stay alert
You need to be on the lookout for risky and very dangerous situations.
Often martial law creates armed gangs that like to plunder, rape, and harm those not in the group.
Watch out constantly, as there are other dangers like debris, holes, damaged buildings, and so on that you have to avoid to keep from being injured.
The supplies you should have on hand
While martial law is usually imposed without any real notice, you should have started stockpiling the following supplies for when it is implemented.
If you wait until martial law hits, you may not get the chance to get those supplies.
Here are the supplies you should be working on before the emergency hits:
Food
Go for canned foods as well as non-perishable food items.
Water
Make sure you have enough water stored up to last you for some time.
It is always hard to say when the martial law period will end, so be prepared with lots of water and food items.
First aid
This includes prescription medicines, ointments, bandages, and other needed medical supplies.
Make sure someone in your family gets some first-aid training so they can be your doctor in times of injury and sickness.
Battery power
If you do not own a generator or can’t use one, then you will have to rely on battery-operated devices like fans, phones, heaters, and so on.
Don’t forget to have plenty of blankets on hand as well.
Power
This can be solar or generator-generated power.
You never know if the electricity will continue to run during martial law.
Or if it does, how much electricity you will have to use each day is also in question.
Having backup power is a necessity.
Plus, it can charge your battery-operated devices if you buy rechargeable batteries.
Communication
Cell phones, computers, tablets, ham or CB radios, and even NOAA radios are examples of communication devices.
You want to stay in contact with the rest of the country so you can find out what is going on.
Lights
it is no fun to live in the darkness.
Make sure you get the right lights that can be powered when the electricity is turned off.
This includes having flashlights and solar-powered fans and lights.
Candles and lanterns are good backups as long as you handle them properly.
Security measures
Blackout curtains, reinforced window glass, ammunition, guns, and knives, as well as reinforced door locks, and more.
The odds are not in your favor when you are unprepared for gangs when they come knocking at your door.
You may not like guns, but that may be your only defense when gangs threaten your family and your survival supplies.
Protection from fires
Fires usually take place at some point during martial law periods.
Make sure to have fire extinguishers and other fire-retardant equipment on hand.
Sometimes fire is used as a weapon, and you need to be prepared for such attacks.
Martial law suspends habeas corpus
You may have heard this term several times but are unsure what it means.
Habeas Corpus is the right to a fair trial, and it is the governing legislation that every court abides by at this time.
But when martial law is invoked, habeas corpus is suspended, and you may end up in a military kangaroo court [1].
It has happened to far too many people to not take it seriously.
You cannot invoke habeas corpus in a military tribunal during martial law because all civilian laws have been suspended.
Sometimes the constitution will be suspended as well.
Most likely, you will not receive a fair trial, and the sentence set down after a guilty verdict is not fair or just. It is possible that you will be imprisoned for an extended period of time before being executed.
Don’t think the situation will change anytime soon.
Martial law can extend for years if the governing military officials want it that way.
Look at Myanmar, Egypt, and other countries that have imposed martial law over the years.
Courtrooms are done at the will of the leaders, and sentences imposed, since you are already considered guilty, will be at the whim of whoever is in charge of the courtroom.
Do not look for anything fair or just during martial law.
It is survival of the fittest at its best.
Before You Go
In most cases, martial law is very survivable.
These rulings do not always last a very long time, and if you follow the rules, you should have no problem surviving them.
The key is to watch your political activities and make sure you have stocked up on enough supplies to survive these actions.
Whether martial law is legal or not does not matter.
The man with the power decides what is legal or not, so make sure you know how to act when you are faced with this problem.
Also, teach your children how they should act in these times.
Their safety and survival depend on their actions, as well as yours.
Originally posted 2023-02-15 06:10:11.
