A People’s Defence Force splits with National Unity Government
The People’s Defence Force (PDF) Battalion 2 in Kyaukse District of Mandalay Region told DVB that it submitted its resignation letter and is awaiting National Unity Government (NUG) Ministry of Defence approval to withdraw on April 22. Sitt Naing, the interim PDF battalion commander, told DVB that it will return the 45 firearms issued by the NUG once it accepts the PDF withdrawal.
He added that the PDF will now fight alongside the Danu People’s Liberation Army (DPLA), which operates in southern Shan State. A PDF spokesperson told DVB that although they received weapons, ammunition, and financial support from the NUG, there has recently been discriminatory treatment between battalions but did not provide further details.
Kyaukse District Battalion 2 was established as a PDF in 2022 following the 2021 military coup. It became a battalion under the command of the NUG Ministry of Defense in February 2023. It has reportedly participated in over 50 battles alongside resistance forces, including the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in Shan State, as well as Sagaing, and Mandalay regions.
UN aid corridor into Rakhine State proposed
The interim government of Bangladesh Foreign Advisor Md. Touhid Hossain said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka had agreed in principle to a U.N. proposal to establish a humanitarian aid corridor from Bangladesh into Arakan State. He added that the agreement is conditional and did not disclose further details except that it would be a “humanitarian passage.”
“A large population from Myanmar has taken refuge in our country, and we want to repatriate them. We must do whatever is necessary to facilitate their return,” Hossain told the media on Sunday, adding that the 168 mile (271 km) long Bangladesh-Burma border is under the control of a “non-state actor,” referring to the Arakan Army (AA).
Md. Touhid Hossain wants Bangladesh to have “some form of communication” despite not being able to formally communicate with the AA, which took control of the border when it seized Maungdaw Township in northern Arakan on Dec. 8. It now controls 14 of 17 Arakan townships since it launched its state-wide offensive in November 2023.
Japan to provide $3.5 million to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
The government of Japan has pledged to provide $3.5 million USD in assistance to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to improve the living conditions of 500,000 Rohingya refugees and individuals from the host communities in Cox’s Bazar district and Bhasan Char, an island off the coast of Bangladesh.
“I’m hopeful this comprehensive plan will improve the living conditions for Rohingya refugees and host communities both in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char,” said Saida Shinichi, the Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh, in a press release on April 27. Site management and development, protection, shelter and non-food items were included.
The funds will go toward liquid petroleum gas distribution, water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as livelihood support for refugees in Bhasan Char and disaster risk reduction and protection services for host communities in Cox’s Bazar. Since 2017, Japan has contributed over $250 million USD to the Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh.
News by Region
MAGWAY—The PDF in Salin Township told DVB that it killed at least nine regime troops during an ambush on a 200-strong military column that tried to enter areas under PDF control on April 24. It added that one PDF member sustained minor injuries during fighting.
Salin is located 46-80 miles (74-128 km) northwest of the region’s capital Magway and Myothit Township, which the NUG states is under PDF control. Resistance forces claimed that it killed at least 20 regime troops during an ambush in Salin on April 19.
TANINTHARYI—Dawei Township residents told DVB that two civilians were killed and three others were injured by air and artillery attacks after the Karen National Union (KNU) seized a regime outpost along Dawei-Kaleinaung road in Maungmaeshaung village on Saturday.
“The military returned fire with artillery and carried out airstrikes, killing a couple and destroying a monastery,” a resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity. A KNU spokesperson claimed that 15 military personnel were arrested and weapons were seized by resistance forces.
(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,410 MMK)
