FROM THE DVB NEWSROOM
Military regime bans conscription aged men from working overseas
The Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation (MOEAF) stated the regime’s Ministry of Labour has temporarily banned men from 18 to 35 of military conscription age from leaving the country to work abroad on May 1..
“We have been told by the ministry that they would suspend new applications of conscription-aged men from acquiring overseas work permits. We don’t know when it will return to normal but the impact will be huge depending on how long the suspension continues,” said a spokesperson from an overseas employment agency in Yangon.
“People who are planning to take qualification tests for working abroad are confused,” said a Yangon resident who is waiting to go to South Korea for work. The regime has implemented a tax on migrant workers from Burma working abroad, and it requires them to transfer money to loved ones in Burma via banks.
UN alarmed over hate speech in Arakan State
The U.N. expressed concern about the spread of disinformation, misinformation, and hate speech in northern Arakan State. Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said that the U.N. is taking steps to support community leaders, including women and youth, to ease tensions between ethnic Rakhine and the Rohingya.
“Addressing the root causes of systemic discrimination and impunity in Rakhine State will be essential in establishing a sustainable pathway out of the current crisis facing Myanmar. The failure to do so will only fuel Myanmar’s vicious cycle of violence,” added Dujarric.
The U.N. condemns all violence against civilians and calls for the protection of aid workers in accordance with international humanitarian law. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that fighting in Arakan State may exacerbate ethnic tensions.
Rohingya refugees suffer heatwave in Bangladesh camps
Over 1.2 million Rohingya living in the refugee camps located near Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh are suffering from a heatwave with temperatures reaching up to 42 degrees Celsius. On May 1, Burma set a record for its temperature at 48.2 degrees Celsius.
“This heat is unbearable. Especially in our tarp-made homes. During the daytime, it has been difficult to stay inside as the tarp soaks in the heat,” said Nurul Islam, a 46-year-old Rohingya refugee living in Kutupalong camp.
Authorities have encouraged people to stay indoors during the day, but many are forced outdoors due to the lack of electricity to cool shelters. Heat strokes and severe dehydration has been reported. Scientists have said climate change is contributing to more frequent, severe, and lengthy heat waves this summer.
News by Region
KACHIN—The military carried out airstrikes on Sumprabum Township, Putao district, on Sunday. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), and its allied resistance forces, claimed that it had seized control of the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 46 military outpost. Administrative offices in the town have been occupied by the KIA since March.
ARAKAN—An 18-year-old was killed and five people were injured in an airstrike carried out on Mindat village, Ann Township, on Saturday. “Two young girls are in critical condition. They were selling things near Mindat bridge and got hit by artillery,” said an Ann Township resident. The Arakan Army (AA) launched its offensive against the Burma Army on Nov. 13.
BAGO—The Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM) claimed that a transgender political prisoner was allegedly raped inside Thayarwaddy Prison. It stated that transgender political prisoners face sexual assault and harassment from other prisoners.
“These kinds of events have been occurring in prison and there is no precise action against it,” said Saw Han Nway Oo, an LGBTQ writer and former political prisoner. The alleged victim was sentenced to nine years in prison under the Counter-Terrorism Law, Unlawful Associations Act.
KAREN—Twenty-six Burma Army personnel were killed and 13 others, including a battalion commander, abandoned the LIB 284 military outpost in Kyainseikgyi Township on Friday. The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), and its allied resistance forces, launched an offensive to take the outpost on April 17.
“We seized more than 40 heavy and small weapons. Some civilians and our comrades were killed during fighting,” said a spokesperson. Thirty-six retaliatory airstrikes were carried out following the outposts’ seizure. This destroyed more than 50 homes, including religious buildings, in two villages of the township.
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