Airstrikes kill 17 at monastery in Sagaing Region
At least 17 civilians, including an unknown number of Buddhist monks, were killed and 20 others were injured at a monastery in Sagaing Region’s Katha Township on Friday during airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force, residents told DVB. Katha is located 223 miles (359 km) north of the Sagaing Region capital Monywa.
An aid worker told DVB that some critically injured residents lost their limbs in the airstrikes and they’re now struggling with a shortage of all kinds of medicines to treat the injured. A Katha resident told DVB that the monastery sheltered over 100 people who fled their homes during fighting between the military and Kachin Independence Army (KIA)-led resistance forces in December.
The resident added that there was no ongoing fighting near the monastery at the time of the airstrikes. Sources close to the KIA told DVB that resistance forces, including the People’s Defence Force (PDF), were involved in the battle against regime forces over the control of Katha. The U.N. reported on Jan. 13 that at least 10,000 Katha residents had fled the fighting between regime and resistance forces.
Who will be the next UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar?
The President of the U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC) has proposed Kelley Currie as the next Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, after the term of Tom Andrews comes to an end later this month. Currie is a former U.S. ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues and a longtime advocate for democracy and human rights in Burma.
Members of the diaspora in the U.S. welcomed the proposal. “For Myanmar, she understands the country and is someone who can continue the work,” James Shwe, a Burmese-American pro-democracy activist living in Los Angeles, told DVB. “Overall, we welcome how she approaches these issues.”
The March 19 HRC letter lists her full name, Kelley Anne Eckels-Currie, as the sole candidate to replace Tom Andrews as Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Burma. The letter was sent to U.N. member states and a final decision is expected on March 31, the last day of the HRC 61st session. Read more
Airlines halt ticket sales amid aviation fuel shortage in Myanmar
Following the halt of all ticket sales for domestic flights on Friday, Myanmar Airways International (MAI) announced Sunday that it has also reduced the baggage allowance from 30 to 20 kg per passenger in economy class, from 40 to 30 kg per passenger in business class, and from 14 to 7 kg for carry-on bags in business class for international flights until further notice.
This is due to a shortage of aviation fuel, according to the MAI announcement on March 22. Sources in the airline industry told DVB that customers will be either reimbursed or allowed to change their itineraries. A travel agent told DVB on March 21 that MAI will resume selling domestic flight tickets on March 24, adding that her travel company had to reimburse 10 million MMK ($2,380 USD) to customers.
The agent also told DVB that Air Thanlwin and Mann Yadanarpon airlines also stopped selling tickets for domestic flights on March 20 until further notice. Highway bus operators at Yangon’s Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal told DVB that fares for the Yangon-Naypyidaw and Yangon-Mandalay routes increased from 25,000 to 45,000 MMK ($5.9-10.7 USD) and 35,000 to 65,000 MMK ($8.30-15 USD) over the last week. Read more
News by Region
KARENNI—A source close to the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) told DVB that a military counteroffensive, launched in September, continues in Mese Township, located along the Burma-Thailand border 109 miles (175 km) south of the state capital Loikaw. It was seized by resistance forces in 2023.
Regime forces want to secure full control of the main highway after taking control of the Loikaw to Hpasawng portion on March 16. Over 2,000 civilians have been displaced from their homes and are in need of emergency assistance, the source added. On Feb. 17, resistance forces destroyed a bridge over the Thanlwin River.
MANDALAY—Members of the People’s Defense Force (PDF) operating in Ngazun and Myingyan townships told DVB that a regime media report claiming that 506 individuals, including 453 men and 53 women, who surrendered in the “first-ever mass defection” and were released from detention on Thursday was dismissed as disinformation.
“They are spreading propaganda to demoralize us. But our morale is not affected, no matter how much they spread untruths,” a PDF leader in Ngazun told DVB on the condition of anonymity. Ngazun and Myingyan are located 31-57 miles (50-91 km) southwest of the region’s capital Mandalay. Read more
SHAN—The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) told DVB that it agreed to a ceasefire with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) following a meeting held March 17-20 in Laukkai, located in the Kokang Self-Administered Zone (SAZ) 117 miles (188 km) northeast of the regional capital Lashio.
Lway Yay Oo, the TNLA spokesperson, told DVB that Kutkai town will be administered solely by the MNDAA. She added that the two armed groups remain “allies.” The MNDAA, which seized control of Kutkai, 47 miles (75 km) north of Lashio, from the TNLA on March 15 agreed to release an undisclosed number of TNLA detainees.
YANGON—Ferry operators near the Yangon-Dala bridge told DVB that they’re selling their boats due to “fewer passengers” after the bridge’s opening on Feb. 6. The 1.8-kilometer cable-stayed bridge spans the Yangon River, connecting downtown Yangon to Dala, Twantay, Kawhmu and Kungyangon townships.
A ferry operator told DVB that a boat typically costs around 10 million MMK ($2,400 USD), but he has been unable to find a buyer even after halving the price. Over 400 ferry workers who rely on transporting passengers across the river have seen their income drop by two-thirds, according to the ferry operator.
(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,190 MMK)
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