Min Aung Hlaing to attend 80th Victory Day in Russia
Regime leader Min Aung Hlaing and his wife Kyu Kyu Hla left Naypyidaw International Airport on Wednesday for Moscow, Russia to attend the 80th Victory Day ceremony on May 9, regime media reported. Twenty world leaders are scheduled to attend the annual event, expected to be one of the biggest in Russia’s history.
“Min Aung Hlaing may try to meet [Chinese President] Xi Jinping, but I don’t think it’ll be that easy,” a military analyst told DVB on the condition of anonymity. Regime media reported on Tuesday that Min Aung Hlaing will hold separate talks with world leaders attending the ceremony. Sources told DVB that the regime is procuring weapons and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or drones, from Russia.
Min Aung Hlaing was also accompanied by regime Foreign Affairs Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Than Swe, as well as three high-ranking military generals. This is the fifth visit to Russia for Min Aung Hlaing since the 2021 coup. He was officially welcomed to Moscow as Burma’s “Head of State” on March 3. The regime extended its ceasefire on Tuesday up to May 31.
People’s Defence Force detains two women without charge
The People’s Defence Force (PDF) under the National Unity Government (NUG) in Shwebo Township of Sagaing Region has detained two women for over two weeks without any legal proceedings, women’s rights groups told DVB on Tuesday. Shwebo is located 59 miles (95 km) northeast of the region’s capital Monywa.
The women were arrested alongside three male members of a drone battalion on April 19. The three males were released the next day but the women remain in detention as of May 6, according to the women’s rights groups. “[The PDF] should release the women and pursue any legal action transparently,” Htake Htar, spokesperson of the Shield Women Organization, told DVB.
The families of the two women detained accused the PDF of seizing a home ownership certificate, mobile phones, gold jewelry, and 5 million MMK ($1,100 USD) in cash from them. The PDF told DVB that the women are being held by the People’s Security Force and will face legal action. No formal charges have been filed against them but it stated it had witness testimony to support its claims.
New charges for airline passengers in Myanmar
Myanmar Airways International (MAI) and local travel agencies announced on April 23 that all passengers departing from airports across the country – starting on May 12 – must pay a $5 USD Passenger Service Charge (PSC) for international flights. This raises the total PSC from $20 to $25 USD. For domestic flights, a PSC of $3.40 will be applied.
The PSC is a mandatory airport tax included in the cost of airline tickets. MAI said that tickets purchased on or after April 23 will include the new PSC. Passengers who booked tickets before April 23 must pay the fare difference at designated counters in the airport before departure.
International travelers are reminded that several countries, including Australia and the U.S., have issued travel advisories due to ongoing civil unrest and armed conflict across Burma, including Yangon. Travelers are strongly advised to check with their embassies or official government travel portals for the latest updates before planning a trip to Burma.
News by Region
ARAKAN—The Arakan Army (AA) detained two Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) members near Leikya village in Maungdaw Township on Monday, a resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity. He added that the ARSA uses the village as its operation base.
Sources told DVB that ARSA fighters detained three residents of another village on Sunday. The residents, along with AA members, found them back near Leikya village later. The AA took control of Maungdaw on Dec. 8. ARSA reportedly fought against the AA last year.
MON—Sources close to resistance groups in Bilin Township told DVB that a bridge on the Yangon–Mawlamyine railway line was damaged by an explosion on May 6. Bilin Township is located 52 miles (84 km) northwest of the state capital Mawlamyine.
“We’ve heard the military frequently transports large quantities of supplies along this railway. When the revolutionary forces learned about it, they took action. We believe this will seriously disrupt regime logistics,” a source from the resistance told DVB on condition of anonymity.
The Moekaung Bridge on the Mawlamyine–Yangon road in Thaton Township collapsed following a mine explosion on May 3, according to Thaton residents. The attack was carried out by local resistance groups, but none have so far claimed responsibility.
YANGON—Photos shared to social media showed residents running outdoors following a reported earthquake on Tuesday evening. Yangon is located 393 miles (632 km) south of the March 28 earthquake epicenter in Sagaing Region.
The regime Department of Meteorology and Hydrology stated that a 3.4 magnitude quake struck about 10 miles (16 km) south-southwest of Hlegu Township. The NUG Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management reported two quakes with magnitudes of 3.7 and 2.9 in Hlegu.
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