Malaysia to ‘reintegrate’ Myanmar at ASEAN
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that his government would do “whatever possible” to ensure Burma was fully re-integrated into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Anwar also pledged to repatriate thousands more Burma nationals from Malaysia – a move that has been widely criticised by the United Nations and rights groups concerned about the risks from an ongoing civil war.
“I would say that we and our part in Malaysia, will do whatever is possible to make sure that we enhance this collaboration and ultimately, take Myanmar as part of our community of nations, without prejudice, and particularly in the context of ASEAN,” Prime Minister Anwar told a media briefing, following a meeting with regime leader Min Aung Hlaing.
Burma’s senior regime officials, including Min Aung Hlaing, have been barred from attending high-level ASEAN summits and meetings after failing to adhere to the Five Point Consensus, the regional bloc’s peace plan for Burma following the 2021 military coup, which was agreed to by Min Aung Hlaing in April 2021 but never implemented upon his return to Naypyidaw.
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Resistance forces condemn Min Aung Hlaing visit to Putrajaya
The Steering Council for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union (SCEF)—Burma’s premier resistance coalition formed on March 30—requested the Malaysian government not to give legitimacy to regime leader Min Aung Hlaing in a statement released on Thursday.
It comes after Min Aung Hlaing was welcomed to Putrajaya by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the same day. The two-day visit, on Oct. 7-8, could amount to legitimizing the regime, which seized power during the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021.
Prime Minister Anwar told Min Aung Hlaing that his government would do “whatever possible” to ensure Burma was re-integrated into ASEAN, amid warnings by pro-democracy activists against legitimizing Min Aung Hlaing as Burma’s elected leader.
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National esports team returns from Japan with gold medals
Burma’s national esports roster, “Team Zanaka,” received a warm welcome from family and supporters upon their return to Yangon International Airport on Tuesday, following a gold-medal victory at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya in Japan. Competing in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) tournament, Team Zanaka secured gold.
This was their debut Asian Games appearance, capped by a 4-0 sweep against Indonesia in the final on Oct. 1 in Japan. En route to the gold medal match, the squad—comprising players Hein Htet Oo, Swe Han Htoo, Kyaw Myo Myint, Aung Shine Lin, and Thuya Kyaw—defeated national teams from Uzbekistan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, and Malaysia.
“We won gold for the first time in our very first competition,” Min Tun Aung, the team’s coach, told a post-match conference in Japan. Kaung Myat San, chairperson of the Myanmar Electronic Sports Federation (MESF), praised the performance, describing the gold medal as a major milestone for Burma’s competitive esports scene since its official establishment in 2018.
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News by Region
KARENNI—A funeral for Kayan National Army (KNA) Battalion Commander Khun Sar El, 29, was held on Tuesday after he was killed during an airstrike carried out by the Burma Air Force in western Demoso Township, located 9 miles (14 km) south of the state capital Loikaw, on Oct. 4.
“He was killed in an enemy airstrike that targeted one of our outposts,” a KNA spokesperson told DVB on the condition of anonymity. The KNA warned residents to remain alert for further airstrikes, including unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks, during a regime counteroffensive. Read the full article on our website
MANDALAY—The Burma Human Rights Network stated that the regime is “attempting to erase” the history of Muslims in Mandalay by denying permission to repair their damaged mosques. A BHRN report released on Wednesday found that only four mosques damaged or destroyed have been granted permission to repair.
Applications have been submitted by a mosque trustee, who withheld his name for security reasons, to repair more than 70 mosques to the regime’s ward, township, district and regional offices in Mandalay. The Panthay Mosque in Maha Aungmyay Township is the only to have received permission to be rebuilt. Read the full article on our website
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