Campaign to remain begins for UN Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun
Pro-democracy activists from Burma in the U.S. are calling on the Trump administration in Washington, DC, not to overlook a bipartisan congressional letter, signed on March 26, supporting Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun to remain in his role as Burma’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations ahead of a key U.N. credentials committee review in September.
“The letter clearly states that the military regime should not be recognized as a legitimate government,” Khin Thiri Nandar Soe, the spokesperson of Myanmar Democracy Allies, told DVB. “If a representative of the regime is allowed to take Myanmar’s seat at the U.N., it would create a dangerous situation for both the international community and the people of Myanmar.”
Signed by both Republican and Democratic party lawmakers in the U.S. Congress, the March 26 letter urged the Trump administration in Washington to maintain its policy of not giving recognition to Burma’s military regime, which ousted the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party on Feb. 1, 2021.
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Vietnam Foreign Minister to pay official visit to Myanmar
Vietnamese Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung will pay an official visit to Burma on Wednesday, marking the first high-level diplomatic trip from Vietnam to the country to meet with regime officials since the 2021 military coup, Vietnamese state media reported.
According to statements from Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lê Hoài Trung accepted an invitation from regime Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe, and will co-chair the 10th meeting of the Vietnam–Myanmar Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation in Naypyidaw.
The visit aligns with broader efforts by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Thailand and Laos, to establish direct communication with Naypyidaw outside of the Five Point Consensus, the regional bloc’s framework for engagement with the regime.
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Mae Tao Clinic wins 2026 Okinawa Peace Prize from Japan
The Mae Tao Clinic announced that it is the first non-Japanese recipient of the 13th Okinawa Peace Prize awarded by the Okinawa Peace Prize Committee. The clinic has provided essential healthcare services to refugees and migrants from Burma in Thailand’s Tak Province since it was established by Dr. Cynthia Maung in 1989.
The Okinawa Peace Prize Committee stated in its press release on Aug. 21 that the Mae Tao Clinic has provided more than 2.5 million medical care services, including over 70,000 malaria treatments and over 50,000 child births. It added that the clinic provided medical consultations to 126,847 patients in 2024.
Dr. Cynthia Maung will receive a prize of 10 million Japanese Yen ($62,000 USD) at the 2026 Okinawa Peace Prize award ceremony in Naha, Japan, on Oct. 19. The Mae Tao Clinic was founded by Dr. Cynthia Maung after she arrived at the Thai-Burma border following the violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 1988.
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News by Region
CHIN—At least five civilians, including two children, were killed and 17 others were injured by airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force on Sein Nyin Wa village of Paletwa Township on Monday. Paletwa, located 287 miles (462 km) south of the state capital Hakha, was seized by the Arakan Army (AA) in 2024.
The AA reported that the monastery, which housed a primary school, and 17 homes were destroyed by two regime fighter jets. A Paletwa resident, who witnessed the airstrikes, told DVB that classes were in session at the school inside the monastery when the attack happened. Read the full article on our website
SAGAING—At least one civilian was killed and two others were injured by airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force on Wetlet Township on Saturday. Wetlet, located along the Irrawaddy River 50 miles (80 km) northeast of the region’s capital Monywa, is partially controlled by the People’s Defence Force (PDF).
A Wetlet resident told DVB on condition of anonymity that two fighter jets had been providing air cover for a convoy of 14 Burma Navy vessels—composed of two combat vessels, four landing crafts and eight boats—traveling upstream along the Irrawaddy from Mandalay Region to Kachin State since mid-August. Read the full article on our website
MANDALAY—The annual Taungpyone spirit (Nat) festival returns for the fourth year in a row to Taungpyone Gyi village, located in Madaya Township, Aug. 21-28. Madaya is located 24 miles (38 km) north of Mandalay along the highways to Mogok and Myitkyina, the state capital of neighbouring Kachin State.
A festival attendee told DVB that there is an increase in visitors this year due to performances by Sanyay Moe Myanmar, which is a traditional dance troop from Yangon. The PDF warned Madaya residents and others not to attend the festival due to ongoing “forced recruitment” by regime authorities. Read the full article on our website
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