Calls to release US citizens detained in Myanmar and China
Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the U.S. government in Washington, DC, to formally declare Min Zin, a U.S. citizen and prominent Burma analyst arrested in China on June 3, as “wrongfully detained.” HRW stated that Min Zin’s arrest reflects Beijing’s growing intolerance of independent research and analysis, after he was accused of “espionage activities” that endanger China’s national security.
“Conducting research is not a crime,” said John Sifton, the Asia Advocacy Director at HRW. Fortify Rights called on the government in Beijing to release Min Zin and the regime in Naypyidaw to release Adam Castillo, a U.S. citizen who was detained in Burma on June 11. They demanded that Beijing and Naypyidaw present credible evidence of a criminal offense and guarantee their due process rights.
Castillo, the former president of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Yangon, was detained upon return to Burma from a trip abroad. The regime’s Home Affairs Ministry reported that Castillo was arrested of “a crime” and will face “a lawsuit” but did not provide further details. This follows an AmCham statement that it was looking into suspicious financial transactions made by former board members.
British doctor awarded OBE for decades of care to refugees
Dr. Philip Ambler, a British physician who has spent over three decades providing critical ophthalmic care and eye-saving surgeries to refugees along the Thailand-Burma border, has been officially appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This distinction places Dr. Ambler on HM The King’s Overseas and International Honours List, released to mark King Charles III’s official birthday.
Out of 71 international honorees recognized globally for humanitarian, educational, and community development efforts, Dr. Ambler is uniquely celebrated for his medical service connected directly to Burma’s decades-long displacement crisis. A retired general practitioner, Dr. Ambler first volunteered along the volatile Thai-Burma frontier in 1990.
At the time, decades of civil war between ethnic armed organizations and the central military regime had completely severed indigenous border populations from baseline healthcare and specialized surgical services. Over the last 30 years, Dr. Ambler has specialized in treating marginalized communities, pioneering structured medical pipelines in deep border terrains. Read more
Thai customs seize ‘Kawthoolei Republic’ ID cards
Thailand’s Customs Department officials confiscated 1,225 National Registration Cards (NRC) from Burma marked “Kawthoolei Republic” from an American traveller at the Chiang Mai International Airport on June 13. The cards seemed to be made in the U.S. and are collectively worth 60,214 THB ($1,600 USD), according to the Customs Department. The authorities stated that they are investigating the case under the customs law.
A “Kawthoolei Republic” was announced by the Kawthoolei Army (KTLA) Chief-of-Staff Nerdah Mya on Jan. 5. The KTLA, an anti-regime armed group that split from the Karen National Union (KNU) in 2022, has seized areas in Karen State’s Myawaddy and Kawkareik townships. A Karen State resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity that the ID card is only used by residents living in territory under KTLA control.
The KTLA headquarters is reportedly located in Myawaddy’s Sukali village, along the Burma-Thailand border, opposite Thailand’s Tak Province, and 81 miles (130 km) east of the Karen State capital Hpa-An. Local media has reported that the KTLA operates in Karen’s Myawaddy and Kawkareik townships, as well as Tanintharyi Region’s Myeik and Dawei townships.
News by Region
BAGO—An anonymous official at Daik-U Prison told DVB that political prisoners will mark the 81st birthday of jailed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi by wearing thanaka, a Burmese traditional cosmetic paste, on Friday. Daik-U Township is located 37 miles (59 km) north of the region’s capital Bago.
The Daik-U prison official added that political prisoners will also perform merits for Aung San Suu Kyi on June 19. The regime has reportedly ordered the arrest of anyone caught participating in a “Flower Strike” to raise awareness about her detention since the 2021 coup.
NAYPYIDAW—Seven Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) that abide by the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) will meet in Naypyidaw today, a source told DVB. The NCA was spearheaded by the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) administration 2011-16 under then-President Thein Sein.
The KNU/KNLA Peace Council, which is one the seven EAOs, told DVB that the meeting will discuss “nine objectives” made during its meeting with the regime’s National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC) June 9-10. Regime media reported that it will be an “inclusive peace process.”
SAGAING—One woman was killed and two of her family members were injured by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), or drones, in Wetluai village on Tuesday, the People’s Defense Force (PDF) in Wetlet Township told DVB. Wetlet, located 50 miles (80 km) east of the region’s capital Monywa, is partially controlled by the National Unity Government (NUG).
The PDF added that five “suicide” drones were fired from the regime’s No. 8 Military Training School in Shwebo Township. Two of them destroyed an unknown number of homes in Wetlet’s Wetluai. Shwebo is located 21 miles (33.8 km) west of Wetlet and 57 miles (91 km) northeast of Monywa.
(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,200 MMK)
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