Kachin leader hopeful ‘strong union government’ to emerge
In a speech on the 65th Kachin Revolution Day, Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) Deputy Chairperson Gunmaw Sumlut said that a “strong union government” will emerge “up to six years” after the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021. He added that China told the KIO to give up its fight against the military following the 2021 coup, but that he told Beijing that its armed wing, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), would continue.
Gunmaw claimed that the KIA has recruited fighters from ethnic Shan, Chin, Naga, Gurkha and Bamar nationalities during their year-long battle against regime forces over control of Kachin State’s Bhamo. The KIA is working alongside the National Unity Government (NUG), the Karen National Union (KNU), the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), and the Chin National Front (CNF) to form a “Federal Steering Council.”
Zin Yaw, a military defector, told DVB that control over Bhamo is “strategically important” for the KIA and for regime forces since it’s located at the crossroads of southern Kachin and northern Shan states and provides easy access to Mandalay and Sagaing regions. Bhamo is located 118 miles (190 km) south of the Kachin State capital Myitkyina and 56 miles (90 km) southwest of the KIA headquarters of Laiza.
Businesspeople complain about Central Bank withdrawal limits
Businesspeople in Burma told DVB that they find the new regime-controlled Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) daily cash withdrawal limits “burdensome.” The limits came into effect after CBM Governor Than Than Swe told a meeting with businesspeople in Yangon Region on Feb. 5 that the CBM is overseeing withdrawals to restrict price speculations in U.S. dollar and gold markets.
“Having to visit the bank multiple days [in a row] is a waste of time,” a business owner in Mon State’s Kyaikto Township told DVB on the condition of anonymity, adding that KBZ bank allows him a maximum withdrawal limit of five million MMK ($1,250 USD) per day. Sources told DVB that withdrawal limits vary depending on the branch, with some KBZ clients saying they can withdraw up to 10 million MMK ($2,500 USD) per day.
A business owner in Yangon Region told DVB that she borrows money from friends to pay her suppliers due to bank withdrawal limits. For funds transferred to KBZ clients, the bank allows withdrawals of only 50 percent of the transferred amount, with a maximum limit of five million MMK per day. Yoma Bank and CB Bank have a maximum withdrawal limit of two million MMK ($510 USD) per day, according to its clients.
Myanmar’s annual UN dues ‘paid’ by National Unity Government
Burma’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun told the National Unity Government (NUG)–affiliated media outlet Public Voice Television (PVTV) that the NUG has been paying annual dues to the U.N. amounting to $900,000 USD to avoid losing Burma’s voting rights as a U.N. member state. The NUG is an interim administration that represents lawmakers elected in 2020 but ousted in the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021.
Both the NUG and the regime in Naypyidaw, which seized power after the coup, have sought official representation rights for Burma at the U.N. since 2021. Kyaw Moe Tun, who represents the NUG, added that it has paid the minimum amount of $300,000 USD required under U.N. regulations over the last three years to avoid losing voting rights, which happens if a member state fails to pay dues for two consecutive years.
Kyaw Moe Tun was appointed as Burma’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. under Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) government, which was ousted in the coup. He continues to attend U.N. meetings to raise awareness about what’s happening in Burma over the last five years. The U.N. Credentials Committee has not decided on whether to grant another extension of Kyaw Moe Tun’s mandate.
News by Region
ARAKAN—Residents of Ann and Maungdaw townships told DVB that three civilians, including a seven-year-old boy, were injured by landmines on Feb. 8. Maungdaw and Ann, located 96-199 miles (156-320 km) northwest and southeast of the state capital Sittwe, were seized by the Arakan Army (AA) in 2024.
Residents told DVB that the civilians accidentally detonated landmines allegedly laid by regime forces. All three are receiving medical assistance from the AA Public Health Department. Residents living in AA-controlled areas have been warned not to go to areas that haven’t been de-mined.
CHINLAND—The Mara Territorial Council (MTC) stated on Tuesday that its leaders met with AA Commander-in-Chief Twan Mrat Naing in September at an undisclosed location. It added that both the AA and the MTC armed wing, the Maraland Defense Force (MDF), will “build stronger collaboration.”
“We respect and appreciate the ULA/AA for the care and warmth they have shown us, which goes beyond that of allies,” the MTC stated on Feb. 10, adding that it seeks to strengthen cooperation based on “trust and mutual understanding.” The AA has not released a statement regarding the meeting.
KAREN—The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) Brigade 5 told DVB that regime forces have defended the Hpapun Strategic Outpost in Hpapun Township with airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force since Feb. 5. Hpapun is located 110 miles (177 km) north of the state capital Hpa-An.
“We seized some sentry posts but had to let go as the military used heavy aerial strikes. [Regime troops] are inside the outpost and our troops are surrounding [it],” Saw Kler Doh, a colonel with KNLA Brigade 5, told DVB. Nearly 10,000 Hpapun residents have been forced to flee their homes since April 2024 when KNLA-led forces first attacked the outpost.
YANGON—Myanmar Industry Craft Service-Trade Union Federation (MICS-TUsF) told DVB that labor rights violations have been reported at a Heineken brewery operating in Hmawbi Township. It added that employees have been forced to work without days off, face a lack of permanent employment, and are subjected to salary deductions.
Thet Hnin Aung, the MICS-TUsF general secretary, told DVB that Heineken’s headquarters in the Netherlands has been notified about the alleged labour rights violations. He warned that a boycott campaign would begin if the issues are not addressed. Heineken has invested about $60 million USD in Burma since 2016.
(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 3,910 MMK)
