Arakan Army recovers body of military commander in Maungdaw
The Arakan Army (AA) stated on Wednesday that it had recovered the body of the commander of the Light Infantry Division (LID) 22 headquarters, Aung Nay Myo, on Dec. 17. He had allegedly fled the AA siege on the No. 5 Border Guard Police battalion in Maungdaw Township of northern Arakan State on Dec. 8. The AA claimed that his body was found near a creek in Maungdaw with gold bars and 80 million kyat ($17,977 USD) in cash.
The World Food Programme (WFP) stated that it was unable to verify Arakan-based media reports that bags of rice marked with the WFP logo were found inside the seized military outpost by the AA. “We called on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under International humanitarian law to respect and protect humanitarian personnel and assets,” Michael Dunford, the WFP country director in Burma, told DVB.
The AA released footage of the WFP warehouse fire in Maungdaw on June 25 – three days after it occurred. It accused “some Muslim residents” and the military of arson and looting. Regime spokesperson Zaw Min Tun denied the accusation. The commander of the No. 15 Military Operations Command (MOC-15) Thurein Tun was apprehended by the AA after the fall of the outpost in Maungdaw. The AA now controls the entire 168 mile (271 km) long Burma-Bangladesh border.
Fortify Rights on documenting military crimes
As Burma awaits an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing, which was filed by ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan on Nov. 27, regional human rights organization Fortify Rights has been meeting with countries – those which have signed the Rome Statute to establish the ICC – to hold Burma accountable for crimes, including those committed since the 2021 military coup.
“We’ve been pushing for a long time trying to get a coalition of governments to recommend [an] Article 14 referral in the situation of Myanmar, and that will bypass blockages at the U.N. Security Council and other places where there’s a lot of vetoes that happen from China or from Russia,” said John Quinley III, the director at Fortify Rights. “Any member state of the ICC could do it.”
Fortify Rights filed a case for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide on behalf of 16 survivors in Burma under the principle of universal jurisdiction in Germany last year. But the case was dismissed by a federal prosecutor. Now Fortify Rights wants to file the case elsewhere. Watch the Newsroom podcast on Spotify or YouTube to learn more. DVB English News is available wherever you get podcasts.
News by Region
ARAKAN—A displaced man was killed and four women were severely injured by artillery shells fired by the military on Padetha village of Ponnagyun Township on Wednesday. Ponnagyun is located 25 miles (40 km) south of the Arakan State capital Sittwe. It came under the control of the AA in March.
“The military battalion from Sittwe Township fired artillery shells all night over the villages. It is targeting civilians as there are no military outposts in Ponnagyun,” said a Ponnagyun resident. People living in more than 20 villages of Ponnagyun Township have been forced to flee their homes due to retaliatory airstrikes and artillery shelling by the military.
MANDALAY—A spokesperson from the Myingyan People’s Strike Committee told DVB that nearly 30 conscription aged males living in Myingyan Township, located 65 miles (104 km) from the city of Mandalay, have been arrested so far this month. They were allegedly sent to a military training center in Madaya Township, located 89 miles (143 km) northeast of Myingyan.
“Family members were told by administrators that their sons were [sent for military training],” a Mandalay resident told DVB. Residents added that more than 125 males from seven townships in Mandalay Region were arrested Dec. 1-15. Resistance forces claimed that they have been taken to the Central Regional Military Command (RMC) headquarters, located inside Mandalay Palace, before being transferred for military training.
SAGAING—At least 17 homes were destroyed by airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force on Kyaukhlayga, in Kanni Township, on Wednesday. Kanni is located 40 miles (64 km) north of the Sagaing Region capital Monywa. Residents told DVB there was no ongoing fighting between the military and resistance forces in Kyaukhlayga.
“The aircraft flew nine to 10 times over our village that night. There were at least 70 bombs that struck during the airstrikes,” a Kanni resident told DVB. No casualties were reported as residents had fled their homes on Tuesday after an airstrike killed five civilians and injured 12 others.
(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,460 kyat)
