Moderate quake rattles residents across Yangon
Residents in the Yangon Region told DVB that they felt a moderate earthquake on Monday. The regime’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) reported that a 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck the location nine miles (14 km) south of Yangon’s Kyauktan Township on May 18. Kyauktan is located 20 miles (32 km) south of the commercial capital of Yangon.
“I was shopping when the quake hit. I noticed the water bottles shaking violently in the market,” a Yangon resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity. Another resident told DVB that locals and visitors evacuated their apartments and shops to gather outdoors in the streets to await further instruction from the authorities. No damage was reported.
The National Unity Government (NUG) Ministry of Social, Labour and Humanitarian Affairs reported the 5.2-magnitude earthquake and warned residents to remain cautious. The DMH has recorded at least 298 aftershocks since the 7.7 magnitude earthquake on March 28, 2025 up to May 3, 2026. The March 2025 quake killed at least 4,477 people nationwide, according to DVB data.
HRW report accuses Arakan Army of Rohingya massacre
Two years after a devastating attack in Burma’s Arakan State, a newly released report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) accuses the Arakan Army (AA) of massacring hundreds of Rohingya and burning down their village. According to a report released today, survivors of the May 2024 attack on Hoyyar Siri (also known as Htan Shauk Khan) remain effectively detained by the AA and are unable to return home.
The 56-page HRW report, titled “Skeletons and Skulls Scattered Everywhere’: Arakan Army Massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Hoyyar Siri, Myanmar,” draws on dozens of witness interviews, verified photographs and videos, and satellite imagery to document events on May 2, 2024. The AA claims in a letter to HRW that its fighters only targeted military personnel or members of Rohingya armed groups.
“The [AA]’s murder of hundreds of Rohingya civilians and the burning of their village in Rakhine State in 2024 took the armed conflict with Myanmar’s junta to a new level of depravity,” stated Meenakshi Ganguly, the HRW deputy Asia director. “Today, the massacre’s survivors are effectively detained by the AA, which has neither provided redress nor held those responsible to account.” Read more
From refugee to UFC Champion: Myanmar’s Joshua Van
Behind every champion is a grueling journey to the top, but for Joshua Van—Burma’s first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter—that path began as a refugee in Malaysia. On May 9, Van cemented his place among the mixed martial arts elite by successfully defending his UFC flyweight title with a technical knockout (TKO) against Japan’s Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328, held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
The 24-year-old champion, officially recognized as the first Asian-born male fighter to hold a UFC title, dominated Taira with vastly superior boxing skills. Van seized control of the fight in the second round by landing a violent right hand to the jaw. From there, he relentlessly battered his opponent with precision shots to the face and body across the championship rounds, leaving Taira’s face smeared with blood.
The referee ultimately waved off the bout at 1:32 of the fifth round. The victory extends Van’s impressive winning streak to seven consecutive fights, marking his 10th win in 11 appearances since joining the premier MMA promotion. Born in Hakha, the Chin State capital, he and his family were forced to flee to Malaysia due to escalating political and military conflict when he was just 10 years old. Read more
News by Region
ARAKAN—Residents in Ann Township told DVB that two boats anchored near Shwekyunkyi village were seized and eight traders transporting goods were arrested by the Burma Navy on Saturday. Ann, located 199 miles (320 km) southeast of the state capital Sittwe, was seized by the AA in 2024.
Residents told DVB that the traders have been unable to communicate with their families. They added that residents have been concerned about Burma Navy ships approaching Ann since April. The AA has seized control of 14 out of 17 townships since it launched an offensive in 2023.
SAGAING—Residents from 10 villages, located in Butalin Township, have been forced to flee their homes due to attacks originating from the Northwestern Regional Military Command (RMC) headquarters in Monywa, since Saturday. Butalin is located 23 miles (37 km) north of Monywa.
A Butalin resident told DVB that around 50 regime troops arrived in 13 military vehicles. Regime forces carried out attacks along the Monywa-Butalin and Kani-Monywa roads in Kani Township since April. Kani is located 13 miles (20 km) west of Butalin and 37 miles (59 km) north of Monywa.
YANGON—The Kingsrich Myanmar Fashion garment factory in Hlaingthaya Township announced on May 13 that it will be shutting down at the end of June. Sweden’s fashion retailer H&M, Spain’s Inditex, Ireland’s Primark, and the U.K.’s Marks & Spencer have all stopped sending orders to Burma.
A worker told DVB that the factory gave the workers one-month advance notice about the closure and that compensation will be provided based on the duration of employment. Kingsrich, which operates under China’s Wuhan Kingsrich Fashion Group, has been operating in Burma since 2016.
(Exchange rate: $1 USD = 4,190 MMK)
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