Daily Stories from The Irrawaddy for 08/25/2023

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Aug 25, 2023 06:59 pm Rohingya in Bangladesh Mark Six Years Since Myanmar Exodus Protesters gathered in Bangladeshi refugee camps to demand Myanmar's military be held accountable for the 2017 crackdown. read on website

Aug 25, 2023 06:50 pm Thailand Reaffirms Bonds With Myanmar Junta Myanmar's junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who also seized power in a coup, exchanged messages on Thursday to mark 75 years of diplomatic ties. The Thai ex-general reaffirmed Thailand's support for Myanmar's pursuit of a peaceful and prosperous democratic federal union. Prayut is set to transfer power to property tycoon Srettha Thavisin, who was selected by the parliament in Bangkok this week. In his message to the junta's foreign minister Than Swe, outgoing Thai foreign minister Don Pramudwinai, reaffirmed Thailand's commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation. Prayut said Min Aung Hlaing sought his help after the 2021 coup. He has also expressed support for Min Aung Hlaing's plan for democratization in Myanmar. As foreign governments condemned the coup and the military's brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters, Thailand attended the Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, a month after the coup. The first international trip by then-foreign minister Wunna Maung Lwin, who now sits on the regime's governing body, the State Administration Council, was to Thailand. Last year, the regime and Thailand appointed new ambassadors. While Min Aung Hlaing has ignored ASEAN's peace plan for Myanmar known as the five-point consensus, Don sponsored an informal meeting on Myanmar in June in Pattaya, giving Than Swe, who served as the ambassador to the USA under President Thein Sein's quasi-civilian administration, an opportunity to repeat junta justifications for the 2021 coup and blame the popular revolutionaries for Myanmar's crisis. Don is reportedly the only high-level representative of a foreign government to meet State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. It was claimed that he met the jailed civilian leader in Naypyitaw in July. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested on February 1, 2021, during the coup and jailed on trumped-up charges and the regime has kept her isolated ever since. The Thai government this week imposed jail sentences on seven young Thai people who staged a protest outside Myanmar's Embassy in Bangkok after the 2021 coup. read on website

Aug 25, 2023 06:44 pm Divided UN Security Council Condemns Myanmar Junta—Again Myanmar Ambassador said words will not stop atrocities. China and Russia decline to sign UN statement. read on website

Aug 25, 2023 04:19 pm Myanmar Resistance Forces Arrest 'Vigilantes' Called in to Defend Chinese Copper Mines More than a dozen pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia members who travelled to Sagaing Region's Salingyi Township to help junta troops protect Chinese-invested copper mines were arrested by the People's Defense Forces (PDFs) on Thursday, according to the PDFs. The PDFs that form the Union Liberation Front arrested 14 Pyu Saw Htee militia fighters who had been trained by the Southwest Military Command in Ayeyarwady Region's Thabaung Township. The militia members said they were going to receive additional training when they arrived inside the mining compounds, according to the Union Liberation Front. Three copper mines in the township—Letpadaung, Sabetaung and Kyesintaung—are owned and operated by Chinese company Wanbao and its two subsidiaries, Myanmar Wanbao Mining Copper Ltd and Myanmar Yang Tse Copper Ltd, in partnership with military-owned Myanma Economic Holdings Ltd. Regime troops based in the mining compounds have killed civilians in nearby villages and torched their houses since soon after the coup, causing thousands of people to frequently flee before, during or after raids. Local resistance groups say troops protecting the mines had called in the Pyu Saw Htee militias for reinforcements and had planned to train them. Myanmar's regime began recruiting and arming members of pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militias to supplement its forces after the anti-regime resistance movement emerged in response to the February 2021 coup. The Pyu Saw Htee militias, who are recruited at the township level, have been compared to vigilante groups. "The troop levels for the military are quite low. That is why the Pyu Saw Htee militias were being gathered as recruits," a spokesperson for the Union Liberation Front told The Irrawaddy. He warned Pyu Saw Htee militia members not to come to the Salingyi Township to aid the junta's atrocities. The arrested militia members were transferred to the township People's Security Force on Thursday for legal action, the spokesperson said. On August 16, the junta troops killed and mutilated six residents of Yinmabin and Pale townships in Sagaing Region and dumped their corpses under the North Yamar Bridge. Earlier this month, Wanbao seized neighboring farmland and fenced-off farms in old Wethmay Village to the east of the mining compound. read on website

Aug 25, 2023 04:01 pm Myanmar Military Suffers Spike in Defections as Resistance Gains Ground Nearly 500 Myanmar junta soldiers have deserted over the past four months, the shadow National Unity Government's prime minister, Mahn Win Khaing Than, told the NUG's 28th cabinet meeting recently. More than 50 junta soldiers have defected since early August, and nearly 500 junta soldiers, including a major serving as a deputy battalion commander, defected in the four months from April to July. Desertions have risen as the regime steps up its terror campaign against civilians, violates their rights, and fails to quell revolutionary forces. The shadow civilian government claims that around 15,000 soldiers and police have joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) since the February 2021 coup. A police constable guarding the China-backed Letpaduang copper mine in Sagaing Region defected on Thursday.  Dozens of junta soldiers defected recently in Chin, Kayah and Karen states, where fierce clashes are taking place between resistance forces and junta troops. People's Embrace is among a number of groups set up by military personnel who have joined the CDM and are helping junta soldiers to quit their barracks. Many of the defectors have joined ethnic armed organizations or simply fled by themselves. "The revolution is the cause of desertions. The military has been depleted since the coup by factors including defection, death, leave without absence, and soldiers suffering serious wounds. The number of defections is increasing," CDM captain Htet Myat told The Irrawaddy. Weakened by desertions, causalties and a recruitment crisis, the military has been forced to relax eligibility criteria for new officers and extend the deadline for applications to the defense services academy. It has also resorted to recruitment scams, posting advertisements on social media designed to mislead job seekers into thinking that the employer is a private company. Meanwhile, junta boss Min Aung Hlaing has sponsored beach holidays for soldiers badly wounded in fighting as part of his retention and propaganda strategy. Battalion commanders have also been told to dine together with soldiers to boost their morale, and troupes of entertainers have been sent to entertain junta forces on the front line. CDM captain Htet Myat said: "The military is conscripting anyone who meets the simple criterion of being human. None of the recruits is there because they want to be a soldier. I mean [the military is recruiting] the homeless and the hungry, and fugitives, and intimidating people into joining the army. So, the recruits are unwilling soldiers and they flee from the risk of death." The NUG has offered cash rewards of up to one billion kyats for junta soldiers who defect along with their weapons, aircraft and warships, as well as for destroying them. A group named Pyithu Thar Kaung, set up by CDM soldiers and police, also offers cash rewards for defectors who bring weapons with them. The military is suffering chaos with desertions of privates and frequent purging of commanders by Min Aung Hlaing. Meanwhile, resistance forces have begun launching operations in Naypyitaw, the seat of the country's ruling generals. read on website

Aug 25, 2023 03:14 pm NUG: Protecting Myanmar's Civilians is Top Priority In the armed revolution that followed the 2021 military coup, resistance groups emerged with many collectively known as the People's Defense Force (PDF). They have won the trust and respect of the people and armed themselves with public support. Resistance groups under the command of the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) are committing violence against civilians in some areas, drawing criticism. Deputy secretary of the NUG's Ministry of Defense, U Maung Maung Swe, recently talked to The Irrawaddy about how the ministry is handling those incidents. We heard the defense ministry has formed a complaint committee to investigate and administer justice regarding violence and war crimes during the revolution. How many complaints has it received? We have received over 140 complaints. We have dealt with 10 cases and they have been closed. We have recorded 12 cases because we have lost contact with either the complainants or the accused or the complainants have withdrawn the complaint. [caption id="attachment_127769" align="aligncenter" width="768"] PDF troops in Magwe during an NUG arming ceremony. / NUG[/caption] Lately, civilians complain that they are afraid of the PDFs too. There have been some reported cases of PDFs bullying civilians. What are the most complaints about? Some of the complaints relate to disputes between Pa Ka Pha (people's defense teams linked to the NUG) and people's administration units. Some complaints are about personnel from people's administrations overstepping their authority. While we are staging a revolution, we are also working to run the parallel administrations systematically. Most of the complaints are filed by the people, which shows they trust us and our administrative system enables them to file complaints without fear. We make sure people have the right to speak freely and they have spoken out in meetings with us. There have been reports of Pa Ka Pha groups committing crimes against civilians in war zones. A village Pa La Pha [police] group killed seven young people in Chaung-U Township, Sagaing Region, and eight Pa La Pha members raped a woman in Saw Township, Magwe Region. What action has the ministry taken? There are several revolutionary organizations on the ground, including PDF battalions, Pa Ka Pha [defense teams], Pa La Pha [police] and people's administrations. But when something bad happens, people usually jump on the Pa Ka Pha. I am sorry to see that. But again, whether it is Pa Kha Pha or Pa La Pha, it is part of our administration and we have a responsibility to address complaints about them. As there are many organizations on the ground, we are preparing to provide uniforms and badges to the Pa Ka Pha so people will not confuse them with other organizations. Doing so will help organize the administrative mechanism. So if something happens, people will know which organization is responsible. The complaints committee is not the decision-making body. We handle complaints by examining evidence and questioning people. If the accused is working at an organization overseen by our ministry, we submit a report to the ministry first. The ministry makes the initial punishment by suspending the suspect from duty or dismissing or arresting them. Action was carried out against a person lately and is pending for another accused. After that, we form tribunals to administer punishment whether the accused belongs to a PDF or Pa Ka Pha. Some people staged a protest against the chairman of a district Pa Ka Pha in Gangaw Township, Magwe Region, earlier this month. Some revolutionary organizations have urged the NUG to visit and listen to the people. What is your response? We have been implementing that suggestion. Either the NUG or defense ministry is set up on the participation and input of each individual. [caption id="attachment_127770" align="aligncenter" width="640"] People's defense forces in upper Myanmar. / NUG[/caption] This is why the revolution has reached this stage. Our main strength is the people. We continuously engage with the people and seek their advice. But the situation makes it difficult to listen to each individual, either in person or online. All the ministry's personnel are on the ground. However, the fighting creates many restrictions on meeting the people. There are levels of township, district and regional organizations. We are designing plans to work in collaboration with them. Regarding the Gangaw case, we don't accept the principle about one person taking three roles in the administration. We are working to fix it. We heard that in some regions, revolutionary groups seized villagers' possessions. What actions are being taken to stop this? Armed groups must follow our code of conduct. We have taught them about the rules of engagement and how to engage with the public during military training. They must also follow the chain of command. As there are various organizations, some do not properly follow the rules, which sometimes results in misunderstanding. Lately, we are systematically regulating the resistance groups to make sure they follow the code of conduct. We are planning to give them close supervision on a wider scale. At the same time, we are taking harsh action against violators. Our minister has told resistance fighters to give top priority to protecting the people. It is complicated by the conflict. There are cases in which resistance groups wrongly seize property. We investigate complaints immediately and try to address concerns. Sometimes regime informants and sympathizers are the victims. And they complain, pretending to be normal civilians. During a revolution, decisive action must be taken when confronting the enemy. We have instructed resistance forces to give precedence to the people and make sure they are not harmed. read on website

Aug 25, 2023 01:13 pm Over 20 Myanmar Junta Forces Killed in Three Days of Resistance Attacks At least 22 Myanmar junta forces were killed in the last three days as People's Defense Force groups (PDFs) continued their attacks on regime targets across the country. Incidents were reported in Sagaing, Magwe and Bago regions and Mon State. The Irrawaddy has rounded up the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs. Some military casualties could not be independently verified. Clash erupts in Sagaing Resistance fighters clash with regime forces in Ye-U Township on Wednesday. / MRDA A 40-minute clash broke out in Ye-U Township, Sagaing Region on Wednesday when Myanmar Royal Dragon Army (MRDA) and other resistance groups jointly ambushed a military unit including pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militias from the pro-military village of Aung Thar Yar, said the MRDA. The resistance group ambushed the military unit while it was traveling to adjacent Kyauk Tine Village. Three junta forces were killed and two injured in the clash. All resistance forces retreated from the clash site when the junta base at Aung Thar Yar shelled them, the MRDA said. Militia base bombed in Sagaing  A drone drops a bomb on pro-regime militia targets in a village in Kantbalu Township on Wednesday. / Kanbalu Underground Warriors Some pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia members are believed to have been killed or injured in Kantbalu Township, Sagaing Region on Wednesday when Kanbalu Underground Warriors Force used mortar rounds and drones to bomb a base of the militia group at Yaw Village, the resistance group said. After being bombed, the militia forces responded with firearms, but all resistance members retreated without casualties. Regime forces killed in surprise attack in Sagaing Resistance fighters attack regime targets from a moving vehicle in Monywa Township on Wednesday. Resistance group Monywa Natsoe claimed to have killed two soldiers and injured two others in Monywa Township, Sagaing Region on Wednesday when it and two resistance groups conducted a surprise attack on 50 junta sentries in an industrial zone. There were no resistance casualties, though the regime forces responded with firearms. The video shows resistance fighters attacking regime targets at close range from a moving vehicle. Junta suffers heavy losses in resistance attacks in Magwe [caption id="attachment_127750" align="aligncenter" width="936"] Junta logistics vehicles seized by resistance groups during an ambush of regime forces in Pakokku Township on Tuesday / PPDF[/caption] At least 13 regime forces were killed in Pakokku Township, Magwe Region on Tuesday when local resistance groups conducted mine ambushes and drone strikes on regime targets, according to the resistance groups. On Tuesday morning, five local resistance groups used drones to drop bombs on regime forces performing security duty on the Pakkoku-Kamma road. The resistance groups also triggered land mines to attack regime forces trying to remove mines planted in the road by the resistance groups. Four regime forces were killed in the attacks and two junta logistics vehicles were seized by the resistance groups. That evening, Pakokku PDF and another PDF group triggered land mines to ambush a military unit of 300 troops performing security duty for a military convoy traveling from Saw Township to the military's Division 101 based in Pakokku. In the ambushes, nine junta troops were killed and 13 others injured, claimed Pakokku PDF. Later, the PDF groups continued to ambush the military convoys with land mines, damaging a vehicle. Officer of junta Border Guard Force, wife killed in Mon [caption id="attachment_127749" align="aligncenter" width="291"] Weapons and documents seized from army Captain Win Soe in Kyaikhto Township on Thursday / KRF[/caption] Kyaikhto Revolution Force (KRF) said it and another resistance group killed army Captain Win Soe from the junta's Border Guard Force (BGF) and his wife in Kyaikhto Township, Mon State on Thursday morning. The couple were attacked while traveling in a vehicle. Two weapons, a mobile phone and some documents were seized from the couple. The KRF said the captain was notorious for operating gambling businesses and an illicit vehicle-trading business. He also arbitrarily shot dead a youth at a funeral and seized 300 acres (121.4 hectares) of farmland belonging to local residents. Additionally, he cooperated with junta forces in cutting the power supply to villages where residents are taking part in a nationwide protest by refusing to pay taxes to the military regime. The captain was also accused of supporting the junta by arresting anti-regime activists. Junta police patrol ambushed in Bago [caption id="attachment_127748" align="aligncenter" width="936"] Resistance fighters of Phoenix Defense Force based in Nattalin Township / Phoenix DF[/caption] Two junta policemen were killed and a police officer and a woman—who had eloped with one of the officers—were injured in Nattalin Township, Bago Region on Tuesday night when Phoenix Defense Force (Natallin PDF) triggered land mines to ambush a six-member police patrol team from Taung Nyo police station, said the resistance group. The police officers, who were accompanied by the woman, were ambushed while they were returning on three motorbikes after patrolling in a village. Two motorbikes were also destroyed. read on website

Aug 25, 2023 01:13 pm Myanmar Junta, Karenni Forces in Fierce Daily Clashes to Control Key Road Fierce clashes have occurred daily since Aug. 2 between junta troops and allied Karenni resistance forces on the road linking the Kayah State capital, Loikaw, with Demoso and Hpruso as the regime attempts to retake control of its bases in Maese on the border with Thailand. The regime lost control of the bases to resistance forces in June, and is trying to take control of the key road in order to retake the bases, a member of the Demoso Local People's Defense Force (DMO Local PDF) told The Irrawaddy. The road is crucial for border trade with Thailand as it links Loikaw with the border trade gate in Maese. "They are heading in the direction of Maese-Hpasawng-Bawlakhe. They want control over the main road as they need to send reinforcements and food supplies," said the resistance fighter from DMO Local PDF. Junta troops heading to Demoso belong to Light Infantry Battalion 11 and Infantry Battalion 3, overseen by the 55th Light Infantry Division. The Karenni Army, Karenni Nationalities Defense Force, DMO Local PDF, and at least three other resistance groups are fighting the regime on the road. [caption id="attachment_127753" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Weapons seized from the regime during fighting in Demoso Township / Moe Tein IRW/ CJ[/caption] The regime has carried out air raids near the village of Sartaung close to the road. Nearly 70 junta soldiers including a deputy battalion commander and a captain have been killed in the clashes since early August, while allied Karenni resistance forces have suffered three fatalities including a second lieutenant. Fifteen arms, a piece of artillery and ammunition have been seized from the military, according to Demoso Local PDF. The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the casualty figures. In June, the allied force took control of Maese town after occupying a number of junta bases including the police station. The regime has been attempting to retake control of its bases since then, said a military analyst. It is unlikely to succeed, however, as junta troops are outnumbered by resistance forces in the area, he said. "The regime does not have enough men. They fought in vain over the past two months to retake its bases. The fighting will continue. But it will be difficult for the regime to retake any of the bases. Their reinforcements are limited. But it appears that they won't stop fighting until they are worn out," he said. If resistance forces can repulse the junta offensive, Maese could become a liberated area for allied Karenni resistance forces, said military analysts. The regime has been airlifting reinforcements and food supplies to its bases in Demoso, Hpruso, Bawlakhe and Hpasawng townships in order to attack Maese. It is also sending reinforcements via the Loikaw-Demoso-Hpruso road. Another member of DMO Local PDF said: "If we lose the road to them, they will have greater control of the area. We won't be able to move, and that would also negatively impact civilians. So, we are protecting the road however we can. Currently we can't move much, but they can't pass either." read on website

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